Has it really been two years?  I suppose blogging has dimmed as the fad and become a simple staple around the internet.  Facebook and Twitter are the new methods by which we communicate.  These venues have forced us to communicate in succinct thoughts--probably good considering the investment required to follow and keep up with blogs.

I like writing though, so I'd like to continue blogging--if that's okay with you.

I'm going to discuss writing in a moment, but first, I need to mention that I made my little girl, Sadie, laugh for the first time in her life last night.  It's an amazing feeling.  Just as my son, Caleb, changed my life, so has she.  I love my little girl.

As for writing, I had a catastrophe a little over a year ago when my computer died unexpectedly.  The computer had all my writing--notes, back story, drafts, character profiles, etc.  I wasn't worried, though, because I had a backup hard drive where I'd stored everything, just in case.

I booted up another computer, plugged in my hard drive, and received an error telling me that the drive was unreadable.  That's when I was struck with a terrible sick feeling.  All was truly lost.  Years of work were simply gone.  This is where my writing career met with an abrupt end.

Since that time, I was able to recover elements of work I had done over the years.  I'd saved some on Google Docs, some on other computers, and found some in emails I'd sent.  I did a lot of thinking, however, and realized that maybe it was a blessing rather than a curse.  It was an opportunity to start over.

Using my memory of what I'd developed, I set fresh words down.  I circumvented all the critically flawed story elements by writing the story again, from scratch.  Again, I've restarted my drafts several times, like usual, but to me it always feels like progress.  I'm in love with the story so far, again, and I think that the improvement over the old story is significant.

My characters are clearly defined.  I've never felt more sure about them than I do now.  I've outlined the entire story, for the first time ever.  I have a clear set of motivations, a solid idea for where to take the series, and I'm feeling the writing bug again (a major breakthrough considering that I wasn't sure I'd ever go back).

I'll try to update here as I progress.  As I've said in several prior posts, writing here helps me a lot.  It feels good to get words down, no matter the outlet (unless I'm filling out a form or something).

Wish me luck.

Write

Recently the necessity of writing was impressed upon me. I'm at a point where I've restated my book AGAIN. This is like, the fifth time I've done this. It's unavoidable in my mind though. I write and get ideas straight, but then my old ideas remain crooked. That's when I restart.

The other thing I hear and read about authors all the time is that writing from beginning to finish is the goal before going back and doing all the revision and rewriting. I just feel like I'd rather invest in the best ideas and characters rather than continuing to develop the poor ones.

In fact, my most recent restart rolls multiple characters into one, portrays the characters much better than before now, and has changed a lot of the old storyline. I think that sometimes rolling a whole bunch of characters and their actions into the same character makes for a much richer, more multi- dimensional individual. That's what I did and that's why I did it.

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No writing today. I need to figure something out before I go on. Keeping with the characters sometimes makes it difficult to get on with the story, but doing what they're supposed to do actually creates waaay better story--so I've learned to trust my characters. I stumbled into a rivalry that I had already identified, but I hadn't really been allowing the character with the grudge to be herself. While writing last night, that grudge popped up and I went with it. It's not come to a head or really affected anything yet, but there is now tension in a place that previously had no tension. This whole part of the story, once a piece that I considered uneventful, has now become very involved. Each scene in the book seems to take on a life that demands further consideration and work. That's okay, I'm in no hurry to make a book, I'm in for creating a real story.

Right now, I have to consider what one of the characters is going to try to do. He's gone rogue and has basically forsaken everything for a reason that is yet unknown (a reason that I can't ignore, but that I'm planning for a later book). His motivations obviously tell me that he'll attempt, at least once more, to prevent the current band of characters from travelling to their destination (a destination I thought I'd have arrived at way sooner than is actually the case).

So, more thinking before I go on. I have to delve into the complexities of the scenario. The obstacles for attempting to stop the travelers are really significant, so that weighs in to the decision to carry out a seemingly foolish intervention. This character is not foolish, so...considerations...

New Look

This week will likely be extremely difficult. There's school, work (catch up and huge projects), side-work, and packing. I've been waiting for this to come and now it's finally here. So let's see how well it progresses.

In writing, I've taken inspiration from my little sister who's been putting down hundreds and thousands of words each day on her novel. Check her progress here: 100 Days to Write a Novel. I actually revamped my story a bit to fit what I've been planning and then kept writing on it and have managed to generate 3,000+ words. That's pretty cool.

My book is going to be a massive undertaking and it's also going to be the first in a series, so 3,000 words might not seem like a whole lot, but I've been dying to get back into writing and just haven't had the time or energy to do it. Well, this goes to show you that even in the hardest times, you can still find windows of time to write. I may be avoiding school work to do it, but at least I'm doing it.

Wish me luck as I continue to chip away at book one of the Atomorpher story. I'm at over 26 thousand words and planning to keep it up as well as I can.

I've also updated the look of my blog and added some features for sharing content here. It needed it. If you happen to stop by, drop a comment and let me know you were here and what you think of the new look.

Writer's Obstacles

I'm currently exploding with creativity. I haven't really written in weeks. As always, I'm constantly churning over ideas concerning my storyline, but at some point I need to pick the story back up. With work, school, side-work, moving, and more, I barely have time to catch my breath.

Notes have been my only defense. I've been writing notes with furious intensity. I've devised a description for an ancient city on Kad'el called Delmenon. It happens to have been a city of Nhabics where Nhabic enchanting spiraled out of control to the point where the city rebuilds itself, buildings shift and move around without rhyme or reason, and the supposedly mindless Nhabic elemental servants seem to manifest and move about the city on unknown missions. Throughout the millennia, the city has obtained a reputation for being haunted, has been equated to hell, and has been blamed for the disappearances of a number of travellers and explorers.

I've also fleshed out combat quite a bit, as well as the accessories used in warfare and fights. Swords that are Nhabically enchanted can, for instance, pass straight through the shielding of an Atomorpher. The Nhabic Sikkorum garments are also more clear to me.

I did actually rewrite the first combat scene in the book as a means of showing the reader a true glimpse of what it's like for two, extremely competent Atomorphers to engage in combat. Now, the reader can see numerous previews of what its to come.

Anyway, I'm just biding my time till things calm a bit and I'm able, finally, to really write.

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Beef Stew

So, I jumped on here a few days ago and was looking at some of my old blog posts and I ran across one that I wrote over a year ago. I was skimming through when I came across the following statement:

Note to self: Maggie made stew tonight and it was DELICIOUS. Don't ever think you didn't like it, cause you did.

Now, prior to reading that, I thought that I wasn't a fan of stew--obviously I told myself to remember because I know myself and I realized that I'd revert to thinking that I wasn't a fan again. So, I told Maggie that we should have Stew to test the statement. I didn't actually believe myself..I figured there must have been an intruder on my blog.

Well, follow-up note to self: Maggie made stew tonight and it was DELICIOUS. Don't ever think you didn't like it, cause you did.

New Chapter

Being a dad is a big deal. I've never felt this kind of love, this elated, and this worried in my life. I'd swear I'm going gray faster than ever right now. I've been telling people that I couldn't have explained what it's like to myself before I had him. What a difference from then till now in who I am.

Baby Caleb Michael McLain was born on October 5, 2009 to two ecstatic parents. He's laid back and cool, hardly cries for longer than a minute or two, and sleeps a lot. When he's awake he'll stare at you. He likes to look at his tree in his bedroom because of the contrast of brown on white. He smiles from time to time and laughs in his sleep. He's got dimples. He's actually a cute baby--as opposed to those babies where you're like, "Oh...it's a baby..."

The next years, I'm sure, will fly by in a second. I'm trying to really treasure every moment I have with him right now. I told Maggs this morning that they grow further away the older they get. Pretty soon he'll be independent enough to crawl around and get into all kinds of mischief. He won't lay on my chest for hours while I work anymore. That makes me sad, but I know that as time passes I'll get to know him more and that, even though our relationship will change, each step will be a new and awesome experience of its own. The specialness won't go away.

It's amazing how much I love this little kid that I didn't even know a few weeks ago. Maggie and I are in a new and exciting chapter with our little family. Now we get to experience a new life.

Another World

It's a rather large task I'm undertaking. You might know that I'm working on an epic book series. The gist of it is the story of a kid who discovers that he can do some pretty extraordinary things and because of it, is whisked away to discover a completely new world.

Though, the new world isn't exactly new. While it was previously unknown to the character in the book, this world still has an enormous history. Likewise, the people who live in it also have histories. So, the amount of background that must be generated for the book series is tremendous. I've read and heard the advice that a writer just needs to start writing to get the story down and then he can go back and work out the details, but that's not so easy. The details largely govern the story. They must be carefully thought out, tuned, and applied to sustain the world the story takes place in. There are rules that must be clearly defined that apply to angels and demons, humans and animals. The background of different peoples makes a difference in who the characters interact with. The placement of the original, gifted Makers of the other world is imperative since they play a role in both the history and the current story.

In total, the planning has taken months of work and effort. The decisions are still not completely made, but I'm close enough now to having it all figured out that I've begun writing the main story. It's pretty exciting to start the actual storyline, but I still fear that the loose ends might eventually force me into a rewrite. Let's hope not.

Even if I do find myself rewriting it, I'm so confident that this book is buildable and genuinely marketable that I won't give up on it. I hope to have at least the first book written by the end of 2010. This should include personal revision and editing along with outside revision and editing. If all goes well Atomorphism's practicioners, Duncan Wallace, Maccabeus MacMillan, Obed Benaiyah, Hadwyn Adams, Taylor Lafayette, and Anna Timber might become common household names.

Just to get your curiosity going, here is a very small portion of my notes (this is not a complete list):

Disciplines

• Refracting light to appear invisible or different.
• Flight
• The language Nahbi.
• Restoration and regeneration of self.
• If an atomorpher is injured he can heal himself. If he loses a limb, he can replace it.
• Deific Studies.
• This is the study of God and his Bible along with the teaching that it is by Him that all things are done. This is a required course of study for all atomorphers.
• Soul Combination.
• This discipline centers around the creation of new creatures. By combining animals there is a mixing of souls and instincts, thus the name soul combination. This discipline requires great care since the wrong combination can result in an improper and sometimes destructive match. The instinctual behaviors must compensate for the new physical structure of the creature. This is related to the study of the Creatures of the Dunamae.
• Dunamae studies.
• The study of the evil sect of atomorphers. These dark and demented practicioners pervert the skills that God has given them in order to further the rebellion and destroy, if possible, the atomorphers.
• Demon Channeling.
• Demons can assist with fortune telling, the manipulation of dark matter, mind reading, tormenting targets, ancient knowledge, greater agility and skill, and control over animals.
• Philosophy.
• The Dunamae philosophy is a dark and mysterious set of half-truths and servitude under Satanic authority. Some are bought by deception while others partake with full knowledge of their rebellion. The belief system is not discriminatory. If a dark atomorpher or Dalmatia (deceitful lamps; vain brightness) is well intentioned and believes in doing the work of God, it is not beneath the Dunamae to accept, through deception, this recruit. Any manipulation of truth--any deception--is admissible to further the rebellion.
• Weaponry creation.
• The art of knowing how to create forged steal, perfectly machined guns, and explosives from sand or whatever is available.
• Mechanical study.
• For the creation of machines. An atomorpher can, for instance, build a respirator in a serious emergency.
• Elemental Manipulation.
• This is the manipulation of weather, water, fire, ice, electrical current, and wind. Weather manipulation, like stopping a storm, requires either a long string of Nahbi, or tremendous concentration by multiple atomorphers. Note that Jesus calmed the storm simply by commanding it to be at peace without using the Nahbi language. That's because he's God.
• Transfigurement.
• Changing the physiology of oneself into some other form.
• Perception.
• The ability to sense when another is capable of atomorphism. This is particularly useful for Seekers who seek out children for the school.
• History.
• The study of atomorphic history. The history of Sethesus. Many Nonatoms become historians.
• Dunamae defense.
• Atomorphers must be prepared for the violent and destructive powers of the dunamae. This study brings the students into a knowledge of the strategies that exploit the gifts for killing, hurting, and manipulating others. The stratagem must be known to counter it. It is a tempting study for some to become Dark and even for some to consider being a dunamae. Simply speaking of the deceptive qualities of the sect can inadvertently draw those that are not careful into it.
  
• Creatures of the Dunamae
• This teaches about the creatures made by the Dunamae and how to defend one's self from attack by them. These creatures, like the Gothrokar, the Tibla, and the Rykon are deadly unless Atomorphers are trained to counteract them. These creatures were made for war and are thus terribly deadly. This discipline is related to Soul Combination.

"What is the matter, James?" Bernard asked. His voice was soft yet sultry, strictness falling off every word.
James stood in the dark monastery, surrounded by candles that led up before him to a door seemingly made from bronze. Bernard stood behind him now. He had been here alone, hesitating and lost, but content to be left alone. This man was not welcome during his final moments.
"James," Bernard rumbled in a low voice. "Why are you waiting?"
With a sigh of irritation for the man James replied to him, "Where will I go?"
"I have told you young man. You will go where you are most needed." Bernard's tone hinted at having said this on a number of occasions before. "Have you not spent your childhood in preparation for this, James? What holds you from it now? You have the knowledge! You have the practice! Though I say you do not, Megolas says you are ready, and I cannot hold to my own words any longer. Though I advised against it, here you stand, and so I will be proved wrong. Now, go lest you cave to your cowardice and make my previous arguments right before Megolas." The words were scathing and heartless, though James had come to expect this from the man. A teacher and a mentor of the young, the man was said to have done his duty as well, though James could hardly believe it.
Bernard spoke again, startling James at how close he had gotten without his noticing. "The ministry has claimed you, God has chosen you, and I have trained you. Now, you mustn't dispair over your calling, it is what you were born to do. Go and do so with God." The words were somehow soft, in complete contradiction to everything James knew of the man. He glanced sideways at him and saw the man's cowl was drawn up over his head and his face was well hidden. James actually wondered for a moment if maybe this wasn't Bernard, but, as though reading his thoughts, the man pulled back his hood and met his eyes with a fierce gaze. "I too was fearful, but it will pass."
James was so stunned that he was speechless. His features must have shown it because Bernard smiled at him, as though amused. "I have let down my guard because you will probably never see me again, nor be able to tell the other students of my kindness. Truly, this is likely the last time you will ever see me or anyone you have ever known." Bernard's smile faded and the man's eyes showed a profound sadness. "Before you go," He began, his eyes searching James's. "You should know that I have always loved you as a son."
For what seemed a long while, James only stared. Startlement mixed with disbelief mixed again with a welling up of emotion rushed through him. Then he found his voice. "Thank you Bernard. I am honored to think of you as my father." In truth, Bernard was the closest he had ever had to a father, though he had been a strict and difficult father at that.
"Go with God, my son. My prayers are, have been, and will be for your safety and success. May you find happiness in your new life as I have found in mine." He placed a solid and reassuring hand on James' shoulder. "Perhaps you will leave me a message or you will find mine someday."
After a moment studying each other for the last time, Bernard pulled him into an embrace. James felt the full weight of his attachment to the man in that span of a few short seconds. And then, Bernard patted him on the back and stepped back. James nodded and turned for the door.
"Do not forget, my son," Bernard called after him, "that iron sharpens iron. Find others when you have found your new place. They will aide you. And friendhsip is something to be highly valued in life."
"I will," James replied, and then added, "father." He felt Bernard's smile on his back as he took hold of the door and went through.

Snow Day

So it seriously snowed today and is still snowing. I worked from home even though the freeway was open this morning. Lucky because it closed midday. Unfortunately, Darion did go down on the promise that his employer (Schwans) would put him up in a hotel if he couldn't get back up. Well, he didn't plan on having to stay down there, but he is.

Cyndi hung out from lunch time today. I went and picked her up, came home, and then we went to the "usual place" (Molly Brown's) where the waitresses know us by name. I had the pepper steak blue plate special and it was pretty dawgon good. The strognoff they served the other day was out of this world. Maggie got it and I proceeded to eat off her plate. I ate the leftovers for dinner tonight. Very delicious.

After that I worked while Maggie and Cyndi entertained themselves. They ended up making a snow man with the carrot nose and everything--a piece of which ended up in Sandie's mouth. When I finished work I went out back with Sandie and she frolicked around through the snow with me. It was downright adorable. Afterwards, though, she had little ice balls worked throughout the hair on her legs. We all took her over to the wood burning stove to keep her warm while we worked the ice out of her hair.

I need to find our police scanner! My dad called and told me that the airwaves were filled with chatter, so I looked all around for it and couldn't find it. Ugh, I'll need to do a more thorough search.

So after that the news became definite that Darion wouldn't be able to find a way home. Every route to get back up was closed. Cyndi wasn't happy and I can understand why. Tonight will be their first night apart since they've been married. Maggie and I played Cyndi and Darion's Wii while Cyndi went on Myspace and updated her status to indicate that she's very very sad. I know it's selfish to be this way, but I hate it when Cyndi gets upset or sad because it affects everyone around her. She's usually very lively and fun, so when she's down, it's not only noticeable, it's a tangible deflation of the mood. I understand that she can't be up all the time, but it still sucks when she gets down.

After looking like a big dork for awhile with Wii Fit I asked Cyndi if she was ready to go home. She didn't want to try to spend the night here, so we loaded up her stuff into my truck and pulled out to get her home. Holy stockings! Driving in the snow is very tricky! We did pretty well until we turned up First off of Nisqualli. First is an incline, so I only made it up so far and then stopped making progress. I tried putting the truck into 4 wheel drive low, but it did us no good, so I had to back down the hill and back out onto Nisqualli. Now, this all seems scary, but it actually worked to put Cyndi back into a better mood. We were laughing by the time we got back onto Nisqualli. After that little fiasco we made it to her apartment just fine and I helped her carry stuff in, hugged her goodbye, and went back out to my truck.

Then I was stuck. It took awhile of rocking back and forth, but I got out and went down the road. So, the falling snow, the eerie haze, the glow of the sky, and the abandoned landscape has a tendency to remind me of Silent Hill. Then, as I was driving down Second to get out the Bear Valley Road, there was a car sitting in the middle of the road and, judging by the amount of snow on it, it had been sitting there for a few hours. I imagine whoever it was got stuck and just left it. Later on I felt bad because I probably should've stopped and knocked on the window to make sure someone wasn't inside. Had there been, they'd be awfully cold. There is a hospital on that very street though... Anyway, that was a little weird, but then there were also a bunch of hoodlum-type guys walking around as well. I don't know what they were up to, but at 9 o'clock at night, I'm not betting it's anything good. It was afterward that Maggie and I made the connection that they might be out because there happen to be abandoned cars in the road where people had to leave them stuck in the snow. Seems like a good opportunity to break in and steal away a stereo or whatever. I'll bet the cops are busy taking care of the crazies that are crashing into to things because they still attempt to do the speed limit on all the roads.

Speaking of which, there are a bunch of crazies on the roads that still attempt to do the speed limit on all the roads. I don't know about you, but it irritates me when I'm driving carefully down the road through intense snow and some moron passes me because I'm not going fast enough. Boy, I wonder why the scanner was chattering so much?

So then, once I got home I was faced with a driveway that is on an incline. I didn't make it, so I got a shovel and started clearing away snow to make a path for the truck to go up. Maggie stood and talked to me while I shoveled. :-) It wasn't too long after I started that James, my neighbor down the street, came over with his own shovel and offered to help. Between the two of us we had the snow cleared away quickly and I was able to get the truck into the garage. I thanked him for his help and Maggie and I decided after that we need to send some fudge his way.

Personally, I rather enjoyed tonight's adventure. It's fun to get out and put down a challenge. Driving through the snow with a bunch of crazy people isn't a good thing, but figuring out how to get unstuck and find ways around terrain that can't be passed is the kind of thing I enjoy.

So tomorrow will likely be icy and dangerous as well, so I'm planning on working from home. Maggie got called by the school district tonight and was notified that the district will be closed for the remainder of the week. That means that school hasn't been in session all week and the end of this week marks the beginning of the Christmas break. So that's three weeks for Christmas vacation. Haha, that's pretty awesome. She'll be sad when May rolls around and they have to make up those days though... :-D

So that was my day in a nutshell. I didn't mention half the things that happened, but this is already getting to be a long post, so I'll wrap right here.

Remembering

Last night Maggs and I went off and looked at Christmas lights. I was telling her about a sermon by Mark Driscol of Marshill Church in Seattle. In the sermon he's talking about what couples do to keep their marriage healthy and one couple's strategy was to write down on cards highlights of their marriage througout the year and then, on their anniversary, sit down at a nice place to eat, pull out the cards, and read them. I was telling Maggie that this is cool and that I tend to forget everything as the days go by. I just never retain stuff and pretty quickly the entire year has blurred and been forgotten. That makes the passage of time seem much more pronounced. Maggie suggested that I blog in order to keep track of things and for some reason that really made sense.

So we had this conversation last night while driving around looking at Christmas lights. It was totally awesome. We drove over the Hesperia in the new developments and looked at lights. We were saying how we like to do that 'cause it gives us ideas for our own Christmas display. One of the best parts was going to Starbucks and getting hot chocolate and peppermint mocha coffee. Mine had peppermint whipped cream, which was awesome. Then we drove off to Hesperia and enjoyed Christmas.

Tonight, Cyndi and Darion came over. In fact, they're playing their Wii right now while Maggie reads and I blog...haha... We don't need to entertain each other all the time. We can pretty much just hang out and do our own things or do stuff together and nobody's bothered.

We gave Darion his birthday presents tonight. We gave him Call of Duty for the Wii, some Magic cards, and a card collector's album. He likes it all a lot. I can always be sure he likes what he gets because I enjoy the same stuff.

Speaking of Magic cards, I've taken a liking to the game. It was always one of those uncool things in highschool where if you were caught playing Magic you were labelled a dork, but now that I'm out of highschool and I don't have to care about being judged anymore I can play(only kidding, I totally would've played in highschool if someone had introduced me to it).

Tonight Darion and I played and the game lasted for a long time. Dinner was ready and we had to just stop playing before we even finished. It was lots of fun.

Anyway, now Darion and Cyndi are leaving, so I'm going to say goodbye. Thanks for reading.

Note to self: Maggie made stew tonight and it was DELICIOUS. Don't ever think you didn't like it, cause you did.

Mob Wars

So, I've discovered Mob Wars on Facebook. This game is really fun. Overall, I've spent very little time maintaining it and I'm doing pretty well. I played Knighthood for a while, but that was insane because of the amount of upkeep it required. Mob Wars opens up to new items and properties as you gain levels and build your mob. It can just sit there and make money for you. And I haven't gotten attacked too often, yet. Eventually, you can become a made man. It's fun, you should try it out.

Last night we had dinner with my boss Bryan and his wife Sue. That was incredibly fun. Their kids, Jack and Sully (almost 4 and 19 months) are extremely cute kids. I was really happy that there wasn't any awkwardness or anything during the night. We got the tour of the house and then determined to stay in and order out for dinner. It ended up being a whole lot of laughs and we stayed till almost 11:00. I'm looking forward to doing it again.

We went over to my parent's house tonight and had German Beer Roast and Spaetzle. It was fantastic. We had fun laughing and telling stories at the dinner table too. The funniest thing happened when I came over though--my dad immediately put me to work on his eliptical. I'm kind of tired now. Haha. It was a nice machine and makes me want to work out more. My dad looks incredible. He's going to have abs to show off pretty soon and all I have is a big obstruction between my eyes and my feet. I'm back to feeling uncomfortable again as well. I did so good with Weight Watchers for a while, but I just couldn't keep with it. It ended up being too much work trying to get into the website and enter all my points each day. I'm going to start trying harder to be conscientous though. My health is too important to let go.

Anyway, play Mob Wars, it's fun.

It makes for some good writing

You might be wondering why I'm posting things that seem like they'd take a lot of time and then concluding that I must not be very strapped lately. Well, I guess it's lightened a little, but I'm still pretty busy. Sometimes, too, I like to just relax with a little light reading--like Josephus. So, here're my latest ponderances.

According to the historian Josephus of two thousand years ago (wrote during the reign of Vespasien, Titus, and Domatian), Seth's descendants were "the inventors of that peculiar sort of wisdom which is concerned with the heavenly bodies, and their order. And that their inventions might not be lost before they were sufficiently known, upon Adam's prediction that the world was to be destroyed at one time by the force of fire, and at another time by the violence and quantity of water, they made two pillars; the one of brick, the other of stone:they inscribed their discoveries on them both, that in case the pillar of brick should be destroyed by the flood, the pillar of stone might remain, and exhibit those discoveries to mankind; and also inform them that there was another pillar of brick erected by them. Now this remains in the land of Siriad to this day."

Modern day historians note that the pillars in the land of Siriad, or Seiris, were erected by a Seth (Sesotris) that was king of Egypt and not by the antediluvian (pre-flood) Seth. The general tradition, however, must be founded on something that was passed down, so the coincidence, although strong, might just be that. Maybe there were pillars standing in the Egyptian desert with inscriptions that aided in informing the Egyptian astronomers. Perhaps Sesotris rehabilitated the old pillars or erected new ones on the memory of what was once there. Egypt, after all, is of the most ancient among peoples. This is speculation, of course, and will take much more learning and research before I can say anything with confidence.

So, Seth and his descendants may very well have had ancient wisdom about the heavenly bodies and it is peculiar that, according to Josephus, they were concerned about preserving the knowledge of their "inventions". This seems to allude to the possibility that there might possibly have been inventions that dealt with the heavenly bodies. Perhaps it only means that there were sundials, telescopes, and star maps, but wouldn't it be great if it were space shuttles or star gates? That makes for some good writing.

Lineage of Thought

It's kind of sad that Graham Hancock went on to write such hits as Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization and The Mars Mystery: The Secret Connection Between Earth and the Red Planet since those books relegated him to the fringes of scientific respectability. His book Fingerprints of the Gods, though, is still fascinating and thought provoking.

Hancock believes that the advanced civilization existed and was destroyed by a huge flood, but that its survivors retained remnants of the old technology, architecture, and cartography that was then passed on through the centuries giving rise to things like chronometers, pyramids, and Admiral Piri Reis's map. This theory supposes that the flood was likely more of a local event than a worldwide one, but that the shock of it was probably felt by the rest of the inhabited world. If this flood were local and it only destroyed the advanced, Atlantis-like civilization, then it stands to reason that the earth was likely not that much different looking than it is today--meaning the continents had already separated. Thus, the mapping of Antarctica is made possible by that civilization that met its end and ultimate dispersion.

Dispersion of a different kind occurred in the Bible however and could just as easily explain the drop off of advanced technology. That dispersion took place at the building of the Tower of Babel and is recorded in the book of Genesis, chapter 11. God says, "Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." This effectively began the dispersion God was after.

It is interesting to read the words of God Himself as he admits that "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." This key phrase lets me know that God saw them as being very advanced and potentially great. This was a problem since mankind would inevitably look to himself as the reason for his achievements. Josephus even states that Nimrod sought to turn mankind from God as a means to enrich his vision of himself. His idea of Nimrod was that he championed himself as the revenge for the destruction of their forefathers. His intent was to build a tower so tall that another flood could not consume it.

From this perspective, it seems obvious that men immediately turned from God even after the great flood. They took no heed of God's power and transfixed themselves on their own power as a means to their salvation. It is probably fair to say then, that when God confused their language and scattered them that the memory of God was already perverted and simply remained that way. Memory of the great flood remained, as can be seen in the writings of all the ancients from Europe and Asia to the Americas. Memory of the Zodiac went on with the ancients. Memory of some technologies went along, as well as various other elements that link the resulting great nations that are most remembered in history now. Egypt, the Mayans, the Greeks, the Chinese, etc. became the established children of the first Babylon. Those nations, however great, retained the perverted version of the truth. It was as though the new nations came out of a dark age. Brilliant ideas eventually rose to answer the eternal questions, but none ever hit the truth. This explanation can account for the similarities in history, flood legend, and astronomical understandings while the memory of God became something completely different.

The line of Eber, which eventually became the Hebrews, who eventually came to be known as the Jews were preserved by God supernaturally. They retained the correct knowledge of God and began the long genetic trek to the Messiah. Thus began the history of mankind. Many paths were begun, many legends would develop, and some things that flowed through from prehistory became enigmatic reminders of an age that diffused as confusion set upon it. Perhaps, as we study the Admiral's map, we are seeing a little of what the first Babylonians had drawn in forgotten times.

Inspired by Unknown Achievements

A while back I bought the writings of Josephus. I read a little of it, but put it down to finish the other ten books I was still trying to read at the time. Today I picked it back up.

I've done a lot of thinking over my years about a civilization far advanced for its time that has since been largely forgotten. Much of it started when I spoke with a friend who introduced me to the author Graham Hancock and his book Fingerprints of the Gods. I've since read the book through twice and am always provoked to thought and study because of it. Hancock proposes his own theory about a long lost civilization that could have been Atlantis.

I took his book to indicate the evidence for the flood and the establishment of an advanced people under the leadership of a man named Nimrod. I have a hypothesis that things like the map of Admiral Piri Reis are likely little traces of that first civilization that built the tower to rise above another flood.

The map seems to depict part of the coast of Antarctica, an impossible knowledge during the 16th century when the Turkish Admiral made his map. The Admiral, when he presented his work, made it clear that he'd used some other maps from the library at Constantinople, but didn't mention which maps or their probable antiquity. The map is a little misguided since it runs the coast of South America into the coast of Antarctica, but the general coast line is discernible and lines up well with modern, 20th century knowledge of the real coast line. According to Graham Hancock, the coast line was covered by ice and had been for fifteen thousand years preceding the Admiral's map. This date is calculated according to scientific estimates from contemporary scholars cited in Hancock's work. It can be assumed, for our purposes, that Antarctica probably was not covered in ice at the time of Nimrod and his tower. The implication, if you're still following and haven't fallen asleep, is that the map might well have been based on older maps that were perhaps based on even older maps dating back to a time of great antiquity.

I'm so impressed by this line of thought because it makes for some good fiction, but also because it may indicate that the start of history, where we draw the line between it and prehistory, may have been an emergence from a dark age rather than the beginning of our advancement. The age preceding may have fallen only because of the confusion of languages that occurred with Babel. Before this, the whole world might have been explored and documented. We may never know what heights the tower builders may have reached in the realm of knowledge, but the search is pretty fun.

I love this kind of stuff, but I don't get a lot of opportunity to go down these roads of thought. It's nice to throw off the yoke and delve into it every chance I have. I look forward to the next time, whenever that might be.

Difficulty and Rejuvenation

Today was a rather difficult day, but I made it through. School work is tough. I have to do it to get my degree since it was one of the stipulations in my review from Bryan. He explained that he didn't want to see me end up losing out on any future opportunities because I lack the degree. So, I'm going for my IT degree in Software Engineering with the University of Phoenix.

I managed to keep positive for the majority of the day. I pushed through all of the work for my team, by myself, and then capped it off by almost finishing my work on my individual paper that's due on Monday.

We went to church then and heard Pastor Tom preach. He taught on Galatians 2. I seriously felt like I'd never heard any of what he said before. He spoke about Paul, Titus, and Barnabas going up to Antioch to investigate the Christian Gentile phenomenon and whether it was necessary to induct a Greek follower into the Jewish religion before he or she qualified for Christianity. The current series is called "Vote No on Religion" and focuses on eliminating the religiosity, or works, as a means to gain acceptance by God. Paul sums it up at the end of Galatians 2 by saying "if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Now, this is a great truth, but there was a great deal more. For instance, Tom spoke about Paul's statement, "I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain." (verse 2 of chapter 2) He explained that Paul really believed what he had been doing was right, but thought it wise to seek counsel as to whether he could be mistaken. Tom informed us that he seeks God's will with great sincerity to know whether he is telling us what is the right thing to do. He mentioned that things he's said have caused people's lives to be completely changed--they've up and moved or something on that kind of large scale. With that kind of power to reach people and affect them, he says it's really important to be sure what he's saying is right.

Without going into more detail, I'll just recommend that you download the sermon or watch it online. It may not be tonight's (it might be Sunday's), but I'm sure he'll still cover many of the same things. He did go over on time, which I'm always grateful for, but probably will not when he does it again tomorrow. I praise God that my Pastor can kindle the flames of my relationship with Jesus so well. I'm continually inspired and rejuvenated each and every time I hear him deliver a message.

Now I'm closing off the night by unwinding through writing. I hope to eventually slide back into writing my Atomorphism story on a more regular basis as well. Time is difficult to come by right now, however, so it may be a little while before I can develop a good system for managing all of this. I'll ask for your prayers on this matter. As it is, I stay up too late so I can get out some of my pent up creativity. The next day I always get up tired. I'd like to correct all this. So pray for me. Thanks.

Back to my blogging slash stress relief

I really enjoy posting on a blog. I've gotten away from it in recent times and have felt a certain level of dissatisfaction with myself. I went back and read a few posts from elder times and it reminded me of what it was like when I posted regularly. Since life is fairly interesting again I've decided to get back into it. I transplanted my blog postings from my new blog (which flopped) to this blog (home sweet home). I'll carry out the rest of my life from here.

Now I'm in a new job as a programmer, which you'll see a lot about in future posts. I'm working on an all new writing project with the working title of Atomorphism; it's a little bit like a Christian Harry Potter, but not really. I'm also working, mostly for fun, on a vampire lore/history/speculative/fictional work; you'll see that peppered throughout my previous posts here. Maggie and I have recently set our sights on moving to Oregon in the next few years. We've purchased a second house with two partners out in Apple Valley and put renters into it. And, I've started on my Bachelor's program with the University of Phoenix.

The school work has got me bound up right now. I recently read in an article somewhere that writing about things important to you (blogging) helps to alleviate stress and promotes a healthier existence. I do seem to remember that posting on my blog was a good way to shed some stress.

See, with my job now I'm working a lot more, so school doesn't come as easily as it did in times past. Now, I happen to work late every once in awhile, I take frequent trips to Phoenix (where I always work late), and my work takes a tremendous amount of brain power. With those factors I'm having a difficult time mustering the mental agility to be able to do school work. It doesn't help that there're learning teams I have to deal with.

As posts progress you'll be able to catch up on my current dealings. I'd love to go on and explain everything that's happened, my various pent up thoughts, and allow for any spur of the writing musings to jump out into the post, but it's late and escape to the comfort of sleep and dreams is calling to me. Watch for future posts.

Vampires Pt. 8

Can vampires steal the blood of another vampire?

The moment human blood enters into a vampire's body it begins the process of degeneration. The blood breaks down until it becomes unsuitable for continued sustenance. It is at this time that the vampire must drink. The old blood disintegrates and comes out the pores and waste organs. The need to shower, therefore, does not end with the eternal gift.

Because of this process, it is very uncommon for one vampire to steal the blood of another. It can be done in dire times to prolong the vampire's conscious state at the end of the dogged thirsting, but usually only by permission and not by force. Most likely, the vampire that would need to steal the blood is probably weak and unable to overpower another of his or her kind. In covens, however, some of this goes on to assist the ill-coordinated young ones.

In some cases, a strong and advanced one will share his or her blood with another. This blood is usually well preserved because the older vampire has sustained it, so the transmission is nearly what it was when it was drawn from the victim. The evolved virus, too, is transferred into the younger creature. This can mean new strength, power, and sustainability for the younger vampire. The giving of blood from an ancient vampire to a fledgling of only a century or two, therefore, is on par, in terms of magnitude of change, with the transition from mortal to immortal.

Finally, in the process of making a new vampire, the virus is introduced as venom might be. The existing blood in the victim is drawn out and then they are tasked with feeding, in return, on their creator to revive themselves and begin the transformation from mortal to immortal. This blood is rich with the virus and will cause the process of change to take place quickly. If only a small amount of the virus is injected, the body's immune system may reject it and eradicate it, or the transformation will be slow and probably agonizing.

In a new vampire the blood is the first to begin degenerating and the fangs, with their intricate ducting, are usually the last thing to develop. It is nearly required, therefore, that blood be given in large quantity to the fledgling. The absorption of it takes place and the body changes rapidly. The alternative is usually a painful, inexplicable (by doctors) sickness that often results in death. The line is fine and must be walked with great care to produce a new immortal.

It is also true that the ancients who make vampires often create the most powerful vampires of them all. The advanced ability to survive without drinking for decades can pass on, the infinitely more attuned senses are given over, and various other abilities manifest as well. This does, however, result in some overloading of the new creature and has often caused many to fall prey to madness where the mind simply cannot handle all the information and new experiences.

In the end, stealing is, in all probability, not the norm. Giving willfully, though, is a more common occurrence.

Further questions will be addressed.
Do child vampires grow up?
What is the oldest vampire legend?
Who is the oldest vampire?
Are vampires and zombies actually the same thing?
What's the step by step biological process of going from human to vampire?
Do vampires have super strength?
Can vampires change into animals (like bats)?
Is it true that, in some cases, the Slavic language calls vampires and werewolves by the same name?
Do vampires needs sleep?
Do vampires require food?
Are vampires smarter than regular humans?

Vampires Pt. 7

Covens

A Guild, an order, a ring, a syndicate, a clan. In vampire terms, it is a coven. The natural, humanistic desire to fulfill the need for social interaction is present even in the vampire. Truly, it is often easier to remain alone, but the ties that bind us in our mortal state also draw entities close in the immortal state.

As for demons...
Considering the demons that indwelt the man in Mark 5:10 "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many.", it is apparent that many demons end up congregating together. Perhaps this serves the purpose of security--protection from the more powerful beings out there. Contemplate the manner in which new demon-indwelt vampires are born, it takes at least two demons in league with one another to achieve the creation. As a reminder, we have already discovered that the human is drained of blood and life and that at the instant the human spirit releases the body the demon slips in. It is at this point that blood is reintroduced into the system to revive the deceased body. That means that two demons must conspire to create a vessel: the vampire and the uncloaked spirit.

The demon nature, as can be gleaned from the work of Satan, is to desire servitude from humanity. The legends of the gods and their human followers can lead one to believe that it was the goal of many demons to establish for themselves an order, populated by human servants. It is not beyond doubt that the greater demonic vampires began covens of human vampires to serve their interests and needs--forever doing his bidding and seeking his interests.

As for humans...
The human need almost certainly drives them to social interaction. If not already belonging to a greater society, the desire usually results in the lonely vampire setting his mind to creating a companion. It is recorded that huge and powerful covens sprung up from the simple desire not to be alone.

In seeking my talks,
I reached out and gave,
The wilting stopped for her,
And love and friendship sprang
-Ko'shek (Epicedium, civ)

Intensity of relationships is inherent in the vampire nature. Love is bound up in immortality and so makes the expression stronger and more meaningful. Imagine the bonds of friendship and love being tethered unendingly. Though life in one age erupts and then dwindles away like a lighted candle eats its wick, the tie remains. Through wars and famines, conquerors and kingdoms, the adhesion endures. Though vampiric expression is fearsomely strong and the bond made by blood is lasting, human emotion and reason still compel the creatures to act rashly and selfishly. The fighting and division, therefore, still occurs, but the magnitude of pain is greater than anything that a mortal can know.

So, covens grow and gain strength. Even the best managed divide, though. The ensuing battles between houses have decimated entire covens, wiping them from existence and it has ravaged others to the point of ferocious retaliation. The fighting makes stronger bonds in the core of the covens and, over time, galvanizes loyalties and relationships. Thus, the greatest covens are usually the most battle scarred of them all. The ancients that lead them have suffered the great pains of betrayal and desperation for love lost. Wisdom wrought by pain stays their course and establishes them as untouchable gods among lesser gods.

To answer the question, yes, there are covens. Those known to exist are most definitely led by humans and those only rumored to exist are probably guided by demons, but the fact remains that the human desire to seek one another remains. This trait is not shed with the passage into immortal life, but magnified and deepened even beyond our mortal comprehension.

Further questions will be addressed.
Can vampires steal the blood of another vampire?
Do child vampires grow up?
What is the oldest vampire legend?
Who is the oldest vampire?
Are vampires and zombies actually the same thing?
What's the step by step biological process of going from human to vampire?
Do vampires have super strength?
Can vampires change into animals (like bats)?
Is it true that, in some cases, the Slavic language calls vampires and werewolves by the same name?
Do vampires needs sleep?
Do vampires require food?
Are vampires smarter than regular humans?

Vampires Pt. 6

What is thirst?

The unabating call of unpolluted desire issues forward to the center of a vampire's mind. His power wanes as desire increases. The summoning invades the depths of the inhuman heart and with nearly tangible hands it grasps at and drags the creature to satisfy its craving. In human terms, it is like choosing not inhale breath or ignoring the smell of fresh bread on the fortieth day of a long and difficult fast.

The depth of the desperate urge is unfathomable to us. It would render a human absent of freewill if the emotion was coursing through his or her frame, but to a vampire it can be withstood--with great practice and even greater pain; it is a testament to the power of the creature. This demanding, nearly intelligently seeking force is known as the thirst. It is the thirst that all vampires feel—those indwelt with a human soul or an evil demon spirit.

The body, a creation of demons during the days of legend, was imperfect from its start. The commendable, yet still deficient efforts yielded the magnificent and powerful vampire species.

The new body had its ever increasing strength. Eventually it was discovered that it could heal itself from only small fragments of flesh. No natural death would ever prevail over it. Emotion and experience were heightened to sometimes excruciating new levels, and its five senses were just the beginning of what it could now experience. In all this, however, the new creation soon displayed its weaknesses. The creation was magnificent, but not without a price. Fire could destroy it, but this was manageable. The sun caused it to first burn and then become cancerous, so the vampire remained hidden away during daylight. But, above all else, beyond conscience and righteousness, there was the thirst. It was the instinct that ensured survival from its perpetual flaw.

Through trial and error much was discovered during the first days of vampirism. The blood, though it was attempted repeatedly, was too elusive to yield to the crafter's manipulation. It was God's law that ran through it, and, like gravity and the changing of the tide, this law could not be broken. The blood could not be changed like the flesh had. It degenerated over time no matter what blood was used. The only blood ever to continue eternally was that of Jesus Christ.

Because of this broken aspect of fleshly existence, the demons saw that the virus was altered. The virus was engineered so that it overwhelmed the vampire with the imprinted instinct to kill and drink. It gave them the scent of human blood as a tool for recognition. The force was as decided as the cyclic migration of the birds.

Each time a vampire would feed, the blood would last for only a while--it would then begin to die. As the blood died, the vampire would become increasingly lethargic and exponentially thirsty. The unfed vampire would drop into dormancy after too long a time--revivable by demons, but otherwise dead.

Now the vampire body took blood and adapted to it. After drinking, the strength in the body would return, and the vampire could go on for many days, but eventually, the thirst came back again. Again and again the killing and drinking would occur. The "blood cycle", it was called, began and the perpetuity of the cycle was understood and adopted as a way of life. Some called it being undead: a state in which one was caught between life and death. It was like a hell on earth to glean life again and again from the truly living so that those deserving of death could go on clinging to the imitation of life.

Oh, how this blood cycle would torment those human souls that fought against it. Animal blood would suffice, but the time it took for the body to adapt and the physical changes that inevitably occurred because of it were often too difficult to endure. The guilty conscience would lose out to the allure of human blood.

There were those damned creatures that held to life because they feared death and the unknown punishment that might follow. Because of this, they always returned to drinking. It was torturous to fear the eternal repercussions of drinking so much that it drove the fearful to drink all the more in order to stay alive and avoid the potential consequences that death might bring. Like an unending wheel of earthly guilt and punishment the thirst keeps on.

The ones that continually lived in guilt usually succumbed to the conclusion that all of their life was merely vanity. Life unending was pointless without a purpose; drinking and killing was no purpose. They began to free themselves by fire. A great many found immortality too difficult to traverse and sought the alluring fires. The animalistic madness that set in on those wishing to avoid the shedding of human blood usually led them to conclude their lives in the fires as well.

The death that the human vampires began to flock to became known as the Immortal Passing. The Library of Kamodd notes that this ritual became a venerated practice among the immortal. Once five lifetimes were reached, the vampire was given the opportunity to stop the futility of undying life in a dying world. Surprisingly, the answer was often in the affirmative and many an immortal passed into the afterworld that way. Some even wasted away four of the five lifetimes simply wishing to meet with the Immortal Passing.

The Books mention that it was often the battle against the thirst and the deaths it caused that drove vampires mad. The madness of a vampire was not a simple thing either. In a vampire mind, human reason went to war with the vampiric instinct. Division in mind actually caused pain like a real tearing in the mind. The instinct ruled so powerfully that it seemed free will did not really exist. So, most were driven to their ends, never living long enough to discover how it might have been.

It was well known, after a time, that the longer a vampire lived the stronger he or she became. This did not go unnoticed by the wise. Some chose to see the thing through to its end and found that over many centuries, the body began to keep the blood alive longer. The blood in the ancient vampire was still mortal and dying, but it was documented by the vampire Yurim that it could now last for decades at a time without replenishment. This adaptation could be analogized to the immune system as it adapts to new infections, so the vampire adapts to the preservation of its blood. Over time, a vampire body learns to heal faster, to react more quickly, and to last longer between drinking. That, of course, is only a small sampling of the power that accompanies an ancient, but that road of discovery is for another time. For now, I leave you with this basic understanding of the thirst: an unwavering, all encompassing, desire to drink human blood.

I have begun to realize a power over the call of blood. The journey marking each murder has lasted to my increasing satisfaction. Though, I long to be free of the shameful practice so that even three score is not yet enough.

-Yurim (Observations of the Kind, An Essay, 1938)

Bitterness and shame,

All is waxing,

All are aging,

Even we are ending,

Not flesh or strength,

Or our reflected face,

But our will and mind.

-Ko'shek (Epicedium, xxii)

The demon's cloak,

Is his sonathanos (vampire),

And the cloak is his door,

By blood he may enter.

-Ya'ray (Pondus, clxvi)

Further questions will be addressed.
Are there covens?
Do child vampires grow up?
What is the oldest vampire legend?
Who is the oldest vampire?
Are vampires and zombies actually the same thing?
What's the step by step biological process of going from human to vampire?
Do vampires have super strength?
Can vampires change into animals (like bats)?
Is it true that, in some cases, the Slavic language calls vampires and werewolves by the same name?
Do vampires needs sleep?
Do vampires require food?
Are vampires smarter than regular humans?

If you have your own question or a remark, please leave me a comment.