The body will say what it feels; the mind will conceive of a plan based on what it sees and wants; but the soul speaks what is real. The soul’s language is not conceived but dwells in the depths. And it is a language so hard to let out. I have read the word images of Shayleene MacReynolds’ over the last while and have come to realize she is speaking from the soul.
2020 Kitchener Comic Con
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Book Review of “An Earthling Guide To Outer Space” by Bob McDonald
Astrophysics can be complicated with astronomical formulas to determine distance, speed, mass, gravity and much more. If you want to know how formulas were used to prove theories in astrophysics you can purchase: On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy edited and with commentary by the British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.
If you want an overview of space exploration that gives simple experiments to grasp the concepts without the formulas: An Earthing’s Guide To Outer Space by Bob McDonald is excellent!
Bob McDonald hosts CBC’s Quirks and Quarks
It’s an easy and good read that talks about how space travel came about, what it’s like to blast off in a rocket and live on a space station, and the effects living space has on the body. He also talks about planet movement, event horizons, and what the sun is made of. I’ve simplified what’s in the book so you can enjoy what I haven’t mentioned.
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Rita Walker (Blog Twenty-two): By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris
Rita Walker (Blog Twenty-two): By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris
I made an open bin with plywood to throw in food scraps, dog poop and occasionally leaves. Every so often I throw soil on top. Over the years when I turned the mixture over with a shovel I found it full of earthworms and that the mixture had turned into soil.
https://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/desert-microbes
http://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/files/170168.pdf
The classroom has a new student, the girl who lit the candle without a match or lighter. The one who was arguing in the woods with Kanayago. She’s sitting to the right of Marlo who looks much better. Meanwhile Kanayago is sitting at the desk on the other side of Marlo. It’s interesting that all the elementals are sitting beside each other. On Kanayago’s desk she notices a small cardboard box. She looks for any reaction in Kanayago’s face that she knew it was her as the rat and then the chipmunk but the girl shows no curiosity.
“Can you tell us your name?” Rita says to the new girl.
“Ember,” the girl replies in a tired voice.
“Today’s lecture is on microorganisms,” Rita begins. She clicks on the projector where the screen is partitioned into five sections. Each section has a picture and a heading for the images of bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and algae. “Bacteria and fungi are the main microorganisms that ingest the dead material.
“All these microorganisms,” Rita continues, “break down dead organisms into CO2 and minerals. I’m condensing this so you’ll need to read about how complex this is. What remains is called humus. Humus is carbon based and can hold up to ninety percent of its weight in water. Because it’s negatively charged it attracts ammonium and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and others.
“In deserts the main microorganism are cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria can desiccate so that it only contains 1-2% water. It will remain inactive until there is more rain. It is extremely important to get soil testing done before fertilizing. Phosphate, Potassium, and Nitrogen have to be added carefully so that an excess of salt isn’t created which will damage microorganisms. Next week’s lecture is on carbon engineering.”
Rita holds her breath as Kanayago walks up to her holding the box.
“I know we’re done talking about waste matter but I had a weird experience this weekend,” Kanayago tells her as she sets the box down on Rita’s lectern. “I captured a strange looking rat. I went to get something to keep it in. When I came back the rat was gone and I thought I saw a chipmunk running away. I guess the rat was so scared it defecated enough to escape. I was just wondering if you could analyze the droppings. Maybe I thought I saw a rat but it was actually a chipmunk. Both looked–.” Rita holds her breath as Kanayago searches for the right words. “Familiar.”
Rita can’t stop herself from gulping. “I’ll get it analyzed for you and let you know.” She picks up the box very carefully. The contents are a part of her.
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Audio Interview with Bob Godglick of Considerate Done: Vintage Clock Repairs
Enjoy this Audio Interview with Bob Godlick as he discusses how he got into vintage clock repair and the different types of clocks he has worked on so far.
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Chrysalids words and music by Dan Watt. Performed by Dave Flitton (singer) and Dan Watt (player)
The Process of drawing the Queen of Caelum cover by Randy Bugdale.
Review of Cixin Liu’s “The Three-Body Problem” translated by Ken Liu
A couple of weeks ago I decided I needed to take a break from working on my own stories and read someone elses. As I walked down the aisles at Indigo’s in Cambridge (Canada) I came across an interesting title called “The Three-Body Problem” in the science fiction section.
This is a Hugo winning story for best science fiction originally written in Chinese and later translated into English and German.
After years of reading science, fantasy, and historical fiction along with other genres I didn’t think I could find something completely original to read. Cixin Liu’s book caught my attention and held it until the end. I’m not an astophycisist, nor an engineer, nor a mathematician so I am grateful he does an amazing job of explaining the sophisticated scientific concepts that run throughout the book. There is also the fascinating matter of taking me on a journey through Chinese history and way of thinking.
Ken Liu sums up the book for those of us brought up in the West in the postscript of the book: “The English words are arranged in such a way that the reader sees a glimpse of another culture’s pattern of thinking, hears an echo of another language’s rhythms and cadences, and feels a tremor of another people’s gestures and movements.”
A marvel of a story to read outdoors, or inside across from a large bay window, where you can glance up at the stars.
D.W.
Liu Cixin:
Ken Liu
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An Interview with Bill Ashwell, Co-author of a Great New Play called “Dark Sanctuary”
For anyone who missed my interview with Bill Ashwell, co-author of the play: Dark Sanctuary.
Interview with Bill Ashwell at the Blackwing Café, Cambridge Ontario, September 14, 2019.
After seeing the play Dark Sanctuary, co-written by my friend Bill Ashwell I enjoyed it so much that I asked him if I could interview him. If you want to know more about Bill I’ve included his bio at the end.
I just saw Dark Sanctuary, a play you co-wrote with Steve Robinson, and got so immersed in it I completely lost track of time. How did you first come up with idea for the play?
- It came from possibly too many nights watching old film noir movies on TCM: The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, Chinatown
How long did it take to write the play?
- Once Steve got me off my butt about writing, he and I had a first draft completed in about 3 months.
Because it’s a cloak and dagger play did it take a long time to make it flow properly?
- In a sense, yes. We had to frequently tweak the characters and the back stories to give more of a sense of their motivations. There had to be a viable reason for Father O’Rourke to support Nicky the way he did. And Detective Widmark needed his own backstory to be what he was.
A lot of social issues are brought up during the play. Was that intentional or did they implement themselves into the play as it evolved?
- A bit of both, I think. The issues of Nicky’s homelife and Father O’Rourke’s internal struggles are real and in a sense timeless, so to speak. We just worked them into the story to expand beyond the simple noir-ish stereotypes
Why did you choose to have the play take place in 1952?
- Simply, it fits with the film noir approach. But really, the time frame isn’t that much of a factor. Just sets the scene.
Some of the actors spoke with an Irish accent. Was that intentional?
- Again, it was all in keeping with the story. We wanted the archetypal characters; the kindly priest, the busybody house keeper, the hard-boiled police detective, without dwelling on the stereotypes, simplifying the characters to the point of parody. So the accents fit with the characters and, I suppose, vice versa.
I was very impressed with the choice of actors. Were they asked or did you have auditions?
- Mainly auditions. Steve put the call out and we auditioned quite a few local and area actors. I was quite impressed with the depth of talent in this area.
You’ve also written non plays. Can you tell us about your other writing and if it is available or will be soon?
- I began writing poetry waaaayy back in the ‘80s, but had no idea what to do with it of how to hone my craft. I stumbled across the Cambridge Writers Collective in 1995, a wonderful group of writers who taught me more about writing than I could have ever imagined. I have been fortunate enough to have had some of my work published and self-published.
- Poetry taught me to bend the physical rules of writing, that expression of the idea is, in some way, more important than composition. I struggle with rhyming poetry (and don’t get me started on limericks), so free verse poetry became the vehicle by which I could effectively express myself.
Bill Ashwell has been a member of the Cambridge Writers collective (CWC) since 1995. His poetry and prose have been published in several editions of CWC’s Writers Undercover Anthologies and The Cambridge Wartime Scrapbook. In 2001 he published Moments of Clarity, a chapbook collection of his poetry. In 2007 his work was published in the Ascent Aspiration Magazine’s: Aguaterra Anthology of poetry and fiction. Also in 2007 he was awarded the City of Cambridge’s prestigious Bernice Adams Memorial Award for Communication and Literary Arts. Bill has also participated in numerous public poetry readings, notably, at the Cambridge Arts Festival, the 2004 Remembrance Day Service at the Galt Cenotaph, and at various local celebrations of the spoken word.
You can reach Bill at: bashwell@gmail.com or text him at: 226-218-1242
Interview with Bill Ashwell at the Blackwing Café, Cambridge Ontario, September 14, 2019.
Co-author of the Play Noir “Dark Sanctuary”
After seeing the play Dark Sanctuary, co-written by my friend Bill Ashwell I enjoyed it so much that I asked him if I could interview him. If you want to know more about Bill I’ve included his bio at the end.
I just saw Dark Sanctuary, a play you co-wrote with Steve Robinson, and got so immersed in it I completely lost track of time. How did you first come up with idea for the play?
- It came from possibly too many nights watching old film noir movies on TCM: The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, Chinatown
How long did it take to write the play?
- Once Steve got me off my butt about writing, he and I had a first draft completed in about 3 months.
Because it’s…
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An Interview with Bill Ashwell, Co-author of a Great New Play called “Dark Sanctuary”
Interview with Bill Ashwell at the Blackwing Café, Cambridge Ontario, September 14, 2019.
After seeing the play Dark Sanctuary, co-written by my friend Bill Ashwell I enjoyed it so much that I asked him if I could interview him. If you want to know more about Bill I’ve included his bio at the end.
I just saw Dark Sanctuary, a play you co-wrote with Steve Robinson, and got so immersed in it I completely lost track of time. How did you first come up with idea for the play?
- It came from possibly too many nights watching old film noir movies on TCM: The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, Chinatown
How long did it take to write the play?
- Once Steve got me off my butt about writing, he and I had a first draft completed in about 3 months.
Because it’s a cloak and dagger play did it take a long time to make it flow properly?
- In a sense, yes. We had to frequently tweak the characters and the back stories to give more of a sense of their motivations. There had to be a viable reason for Father O’Rourke to support Nicky the way he did. And Detective Widmark needed his own backstory to be what he was.
A lot of social issues are brought up during the play. Was that intentional or did they implement themselves into the play as it evolved?
- A bit of both, I think. The issues of Nicky’s homelife and Father O’Rourke’s internal struggles are real and in a sense timeless, so to speak. We just worked them into the story to expand beyond the simple noir-ish stereotypes
Why did you choose to have the play take place in 1952?
- Simply, it fits with the film noir approach. But really, the time frame isn’t that much of a factor. Just sets the scene.
Some of the actors spoke with an Irish accent. Was that intentional?
- Again, it was all in keeping with the story. We wanted the archetypal characters; the kindly priest, the busybody house keeper, the hard-boiled police detective, without dwelling on the stereotypes, simplifying the characters to the point of parody. So the accents fit with the characters and, I suppose, vice versa.
I was very impressed with the choice of actors. Were they asked or did you have auditions?
- Mainly auditions. Steve put the call out and we auditioned quite a few local and area actors. I was quite impressed with the depth of talent in this area.
You’ve also written non plays. Can you tell us about your other writing and if it is available or will be soon?
- I began writing poetry waaaayy back in the ‘80s, but had no idea what to do with it of how to hone my craft. I stumbled across the Cambridge Writers Collective in 1995, a wonderful group of writers who taught me more about writing than I could have ever imagined. I have been fortunate enough to have had some of my work published and self-published.
- Poetry taught me to bend the physical rules of writing, that expression of the idea is, in some way, more important than composition. I struggle with rhyming poetry (and don’t get me started on limericks), so free verse poetry became the vehicle by which I could effectively express myself.
Bill Ashwell has been a member of the Cambridge Writers collective (CWC) since 1995. His poetry and prose have been published in several editions of CWC’s Writers Undercover Anthologies and The Cambridge Wartime Scrapbook. In 2001 he published Moments of Clarity, a chapbook collection of his poetry. In 2007 his work was published in the Ascent Aspiration Magazine’s: Aguaterra Anthology of poetry and fiction. Also in 2007 he was awarded the City of Cambridge’s prestigious Bernice Adams Memorial Award for Communication and Literary Arts. Bill has also participated in numerous public poetry readings, notably, at the Cambridge Arts Festival, the 2004 Remembrance Day Service at the Galt Cenotaph, and at various local celebrations of the spoken word.
You can reach Bill at: bashwell@gmail.com or text him at: 226-218-1242
Caedar Writing & Artwork 