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Ever since I learned to speak binary on a DIGIAC 3080 training computer, I've been involved with tech in one way or another, but there was always another part of me off exploring ideas and writing about them. Halfway to a BS in Space Technology at Florida Institute of Technology during the Apollo years, I ditched out and walked into a data center job with Franklin National Bank a few years before it made history. Software contract houses, like the one I signed up with after the layoff, not only offered paid benefits, but kept paying you between contracts while they searched for your next gig. Of course, by then, I'd already been infected with the ideas of Edward de Bono, so my approach to problem solving, and therefore every part of my life, including writing, was tacking towards uncharted territory.
Since then, I've worked on a remote weather station for NOAA and on NASA/JPL's Deep Space Network, diddled with a huge database for a DOD competition at what used to be McDonnell-Douglas, subverted the design of the database driving one of the Air Force's aircraft test sets, wrote tech docs in the 'Dead Languages Group' at Microsoft, and even created the entire IT infrastructure for a manufacturing business I co-owned.
And all along the way, I wrote. So far, there's three novels, as well as lots of short stories and essays. Some of which you can read on my blog. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. KlurgSheld? That's a game featured in one of my stories. But you'll have to find which one on your own. Don't forget to pack a lunch.
Sunday, January 29, 2012 Short Story: "Unspoken" (4 comments)
Anyone can be discriminated against. You may be accepted in your own culture, but someone in the same situation in another culture could be at risk of losing their home and their livelihood just for existing. This story was inspired by the experience of a woman in India. Take a moment to imagine how you might be treated if you were elsewhere.
Sunday, January 8, 2012 Short Story: "Steam Cycle" (7th in a series) (2 comments)
Go ahead, think the unthinkable: what would your life be like if the government, and the corporations that run it, lost control and the 1% left the rest of us to fend for ourselves? That's what this series is about. In this installment, Peter Epas's mission to make a dual-currency system work in his city is sidetracked by a thief. But then, you might want to see where all this started. Forewarned is forearmed, after all.
Sunday, November 20, 2011 Short Story: "The Phoenix Narrative" (6th in a series) (2 comments)
One of the things we take for granted is that money is money. But a big enough collapse wouldn't even leave the dollar standing, much less the companies and governments that depend on it. Beth lives in that world, and she's about to learn how desperate some people can be to reject change.
Sunday, June 5, 2011 Short Story: "Terrifying Vindication" (1 comments)
Unscrupulous politicians use an arsenal of emotionally manipulative techniques to transform what should have been an informed citizenry into a directable mob. But they may have gotten more than they bargained for. Corwin Farragut was innocent of the terrorist act he'd been convicted of, but proving it would put far more people in danger.
Monday, May 23, 2011 Short Story: "Focus Group" (1 comments)
Crowd-sourced OpEdNews, like Bush-era umbrella anti-war protests, has many voices. Its community ethic makes it strong at the cost of not being suitable to spearhead public action. To do that requires a different ethic, the one that made the American Revolution possible: 'E Pluribus Unum' -- Out of many, One. Here's why.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 Short Story: "Eulogy" (2 comments)
You don't have to fall down a rabbit hole to find that your words don't mean what you mean them to mean. The vocabulary of political discourse is littered with code words. There can be no meeting of minds when people do not realize that their words do not carry their intended meaning. We've seen the political fallout of this, but the possibilities are far more dire. If we do nothing, this story could be our epitaph.
Saturday, May 14, 2011 Short Story: "Round" (5th/last in a series) (1 comments)
If you're self-aware and have a conscience, there's a simple way to judge the wisdom of your actions: ask yourself if you can you live with yourself afterwards. Norwyn Rosset was more interested in getting ahead than in asking stupid questions.
Sunday, May 8, 2011 Short Story: "Face Value" (4th in a series) (1 comments)
A thing or event, in itself, is neither good nor evil. As Samuel Clemens noted, the rain may save your crops but wash away your neighbor's. But what about people? We've been conditioned to think of certain types of people as undesirable, even criminal. But in different circumstances, that criminal may be the secret to the new economy. Ryan Svorlin lives in these circumstances, and one of those people is about to arrive.
Monday, May 2, 2011 Short Story: "LA Scrip" (3rd in a series) (1 comments)
After the corporate-sponsored destruction of the world economy and the fall of the US government, L.A. usurped one power granted to Congress by the Constitution: the right to issue money. It may be a local solution, and only people working for the city are getting it so far, but it's beginning to pay off. Cristall Bellows's job is to spread the word, but not everyone accepts the new money yet, and she needs a place to live.
Friday, April 29, 2011 Short Story: "Full Value" (2nd in a series) (1 comments)
The corpse that Ryan Svorlin found in the mansion that he won in LA's repossession lottery had drawn more than flies. Now that even the federal government was in shambles, a visitor from D.C. had come to spit on his grave.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Short Story: "As Is" (1st in a series) (1 comments)
The worst case scenario might not be as bad as it seems. After the economy crashed and Los Angeles was left to fend for itself, someone decided to offer the multitude of vacant mansions to the dispossessed. That's how Ryan Svorlin got his new home. It was also how he got a small problem to clean up.
Monday, April 25, 2011 Short Story: "Contractor Uprising"
There are many kinds of leader. Just because you're not the one at the mike doesn't mean you don't influence those around you. Seeding an idea right here at OpEdNews might be all it takes. Charlie found out just how powerful his words could be. How about yours?
Thursday, December 31, 2009 Short Story: "Incident on Concourse B"
Once again, we have been frightened by an attempted terrorist attack in an airliner, and the TSA has been shown to be inadequate to the task of making the airways safe. New procedures are being instituted, and we're told that they are intentionally vague, to permit the TSA to tailor their activities to the situation. But that also gives them the freedom to take actions that could cause trouble.
Friday, December 25, 2009 Short Story: "Chain of Supposition" (1 comments)
If we live in a free society, why is it so easy for what we say to be overtly censored, or covertly censored by making it harder for people to find unpopular thoughts? We are told that critical thinking is essential to being competitive in the world economy, yet when we use it to examine the most important event in recent memory, we are marginalized. Take Leo Kinstler. He was in a jury when the inescapable found him.
Thursday, December 24, 2009 Short Story: "Insinuation"
With the Republican Party tearing itself apart over whether people are conservative enough or religious enough, it's only a matter of time before some GOP PR genius decides to tie piety and patriotism into a neat little knot, and then try to hang the rest of us with it. What would you do if you knew who was tasked to craft the message for this travesty? Corie Tarlner does, and she isn't taking any chances.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Short Story: "Judicial Restraint"
With the precedent set in Ashcroft v. Iqbal, a legal Catch-22 enables judges to deny justice by requiring defendants to provide evidence, prior to the start of a case, that is only available during Discovery. With all checks and balances now broken, a president could even charge the Supreme Court with treason, triggering a complete meltdown of the government. Then what?
Sunday, December 20, 2009 Short Story: "Health Care Reform"
Come on. It couldn't be all that bad, could it? After all, the insurance companies have spent a fortune to make sure it doesn't threaten their business model. What could possibly go wrong?
Saturday, December 19, 2009 Short Story: "Call to Action"
Tea-baggers and elected representatives aren't the only folks being used by expert manipulators. When you risk saying or doing something controversial, is it really your own idea, or are you a pawn in someone's game? We can protect ourselves from getting tangled in the strings of manipulation pulled by ads and talking heads, but what about the ones we don't notice? What about the more insidious threats to our autonomy?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Short Story: "Bankers from Outer Space"
Any system can be gamed, and any system can fail, as we've sadly learned about the financial house-of-cards that undergirds the various corporate cartels that vie for control of the world's governments. If we don't rein them in, they could actually become 'masters of the universe', and heaven help any unsuspecting alien race that falls for their get-rich-quick schemes. Business, as they say, is business.
Sunday, December 13, 2009 Short Story: "Intended Consequence"
To prosecute the mastermind, we prove that a chain of events led to the crime, so why do we ignore the ultimate effects of seemingly innocuous laws and corporate acts? When Colleen Tendray was poisoned while she was out leafleting to preserve the public domain, she drew some nasty conclusions about who was behind it.
Thursday, December 10, 2009 Short Story: "Cascade" (2 comments)
Who should we punish, the person who commits violence, or the one who wanted it done? We are told to focus on the immediate cause of disasters, when its really the ultimate cause that we need to address. And yet those who point them out are marginalized and ignored. Irwin's warnings may have fallen on deaf ears, but that did not lessen the danger he saw. He could have given up, but he chose to act, and now he's in court.
Thursday, December 3, 2009 Short Story: "Disarmed"
Now that the reality-based community is safely in control of the political and economic nightmares we're struggling to escape from, perhaps it's time to give some thought to how the Bush Administration's alternative really worked. Most of the evidence has been carefully buried, but a few individuals have not given up searching for the truth. Jerry just didn't expect it to turn up in his back yard.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 Short Story: "Sacred Honor"
Our founding document states that we are all endowed with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The constitution refined that endowment. At the Nuremberg war trials, we stated that we do not relinquish those rights and responsibilities completely merely by being in the military, yet we deny those rights in large part to our own armed forces. What would happen if they claimed those rights, and took action?
Friday, November 27, 2009 Short Story: "Frachetti's Challenge" (15th and last of a series) (1 comments)
If we could convict corporations for their crimes, what else could we do to undo all the damage that's been done in the name of corporate personhood? Employees of the FW Diner turned the CEO's scheme to capitalize on the company's conviction into an opportunity, and found new ways to engage customers into the activist community. Like Leo, the server. He's also a musician, and that offers it's own opportunities.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Short Story: "A Hard Box to Think Outside Of" (13th in a series)
If corporations were convicted for their crimes, how much of the economy would survive? If those crimes included bribing public officials with campaign money, how much of the government would survive? Sure, we might eventually end up with something better, but what do we do in the meantime? If the scam of fractional-reserve banking was shut down, how would you buy your groceries? Would there even be groceries? I'm just asking.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Short Story: "Signing Statement" (14th in a series) (1 comments)
Even in a world where corporations are convicted for their crimes, they'd still control our lives through the monetary system. Just ask Leetha Berismont. Being unemployed pushes you into making risky choices, and corporations still hold all the cards. In her case, it's plastic, and it's been denied. Fortunately for her, she's having lunch with a bunch of radical activists, and one of them has her ear. Who really has the power?
Monday, November 23, 2009 Short Story: "Striking the Set Piece" (12th in a series)
If corporations could be convicted of their crimes, which ones would you want to bring to justice? Some, such as Blackwater, are obvious choices, because they boldly flaunt the law, or sidestep it by operating in the grey zones between government and private industry. Others are more subtle. They bankroll campaigns and pad pockets, and in return, get legislation either passed or blocked. Don't be hoodwinked by the puppeteers.
Sunday, November 22, 2009 Short Story: "Foreclosed Future" (part 11 of a series)
What if corporations were convicted for their crimes? John Frachetti, whose inflammatory blog posts got him accused of being a terrorist, has been laying low in the FW Diner, a chain that was turned into a haven for activists after the union reframed the CEO's scheme to profit from the company's conviction for theft. But after some unplanned publicity, he's gone back underground. Here's a dispatch from the road.
Saturday, November 21, 2009 Short Story: "Bank Shot" (10th in a series) (1 comments)
What if corporations could be convicted for their crimes? Fremont-Wayfarer was the 2nd one, but the union reframed the CEO's scheme to profit from it and created a hotbed of activism. Having unintentionally gotten press for a photo with the company's parole officer, suspected terrorist John Frachetti's earned an audience with the union, and he plans to make the most of it.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 Short Story: "The Tallysheet Bankers" (9th in a series) (1 comments)
What if corporations could be convicted for their crimes? Blogger John Frachetti had ignited the activist community gathered by the newly unionized workforce, and now the government threatened to shutter the chain of FW Diners to avert possible attacks against other misbehaving corporations. With the CEO recently murdered, John's been asked to speak to the Board, and a lot is resting on what he does, and who joins which side.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Short Story: "Unvarnished Siding" (8th in a series) (1 comments)
What if corporations could be convicted for the crimes they commit? Having issued the orders that enabled the newly unionized workforce of the FW Diners to transform the chain into a hotbed of activists, parole officer Claire Fuller had been photographed speaking with blogger and suspected terrorist John Frachetti. It's bad publicity for the case. The judge is asking questions. If you were in her position, what would you do?
Sunday, November 15, 2009 Short Story: "Unplanned Outing" (7th in a series) (1 comments)
What if corporations could be convicted for the crimes they commit? When Claire Fuller, Fremont-Wafarer's parole officer dropped in to one of the company's redecorated prison-themed diners to speak with the union's rep on the Board, she was hoping to keep a low profile. But then she ran into blogger John Frachetti, exactly the sort of activist customer the staff were trying to attract. Low profile wasn't exactly what happened.
Thursday, November 12, 2009 Short Story: "Going Down" (part 6 of a series) (1 comments)
What if corporations were convicted of their crimes? The company that owns the FW Diners capitalized on the its conviction with a prison makeover, but the workers used the opportunity to speak out about corporate crime, and it's starting to bear fruit. Unfortunately, the blogger chatting up the cashier was just followed in by some threatening government suits. What do you suppose a roomful of activist customers would do?
Saturday, November 7, 2009 Short Story: "Serving Time" (5th in a series) (1 comments)
What if corporations could be convicted of their crimes? After Fremont-Wayfarer was incarcerated for theft, the newly unionized workforce agreed to the CEO's ploy to capitalize on their infamy, but they turned his plans against him. His idea sounded good on paper, but now the workers have to sell the surreal sight of a prison-themed restaurant to their customers. And not all of them think it was a good idea at all.
Sunday, November 1, 2009 Short Story: "Turnabout" (part 4 of a Series) (1 comments)
If corporate citizens were convicted of their crimes, what would jail time be like? Fremont-Wayfarer's parole officer wants the newly-unionized workforce to vote on CEO Reese's scheme to capitalize on being the first corporation incarcerated under the new rules. But then, he thought he was still in control of the situation. The union had other ideas.
Friday, October 30, 2009 Short Story: "Prison Break" (3rd in a series) (1 comments)
Imagine if corporations were granted the full rights of citizenship. They can finally be convicted of the crimes they commit. That's what happened to Fremont-Wayfarer, and now CEO Edward Reese must yield to Claire Fuller, the court-appointed parole officer chairing the Board of Directors. She's made sweeping changes to the board. Reese is incensed at the scrutiny he's now under, but he doesn't plan to give up without a fight.
Sunday, October 25, 2009 Short Story: "Logical Conclusion/Full Circle" (parts 1&2 of a series) (1 comments)
When wealthy capitalists misused the 14th Amendment to grant corporations the rights afforded people, they avoided the risks that went with those rights. That imbalance gave corporations an unfair advantage, which enabled them to subvert the constitution and manipulate the government, causing the current crisis. Imagine would happen if corporations were given full citizenship, and were treated like the criminals they are...
Sunday, October 18, 2009 Short Story: "Vocal Threat" (10th & Last of a series) (1 comments)
At some point, we all have to step out of our comfort zone, but for some people, there is more at stake than losing what we traded for that comfort. Because intelligence trainee Craig feels protective of Derek Boa's activist group, he risks exposing his complicity by not only speaking with Melissa Fox in public, but by bring a coworker into his confidence as well. The question, of course, is how they react, and what they do.
Sunday, October 11, 2009 Short Story: "Unheard Voices" (8th in a series) (1 comments)
Revolutions are fought to overthrow the existing order, but sometimes the struggle takes place in the heart, mind and soul of one person at a time. Transforming heath care into a civil right is one such revolution. Derek Boa's group hopes to ignite a different kind of revolution, one that changes how people regard the U.S. Constitution. To them, it is the nation's operating system. It has been hacked, and needs to be debugged.
Friday, October 9, 2009 Short Story: "Wobbly Premise" (7th in a series) (1 comments)
Subverting authority takes guts. Doing so covertly is especially dangerous when you work in intelligence. Craig knew this when he decided to help Derek Boa and Constitutional Evolution, but it was a risk he was willing to take, because he believed in what they were doing. And you? How would you act? What would you do if you discovered a weakness in your distasteful employer's armory? Keep it to yourself... or take action?
Sunday, October 4, 2009 Short Story: "Double Agent" (6th in a series) (1 comments)
Do you live a double life? Does 'professional behavior' on the job mean stifling your real opinions in favor of those of your business or organization? As an intelligence agent, Craig had to treat Constitutional Evolution as a potential threat. But having met the activists in CE as 'Ron', he saw them as something entirely different. But he also realized that he was in a unique position to do something about it. Are you?
Friday, October 2, 2009 Short Story: "Hidden Baggage" (5th in a series) (1 comments)
Who really has a hidden agenda, those accused of having one, or those who trump up the charge? Have you brought emotional baggage that you don't know about to a dispute, or presented yourself in a false light to achieve some end? Ron walked into a Constitutional Evolution meeting on a mission, and it showed. As a member, would you ignore his hidden baggage, or shine a light on it? What if you were the leader, like Derek Boa?
Thursday, October 1, 2009 Short Story: "Symbolism and Intent" (4th in a series) (1 comments)
Got something to say? It's not just what you say and how you say it. A powerful message also evokes deep emotions and the magic that comes of using symbolism to present your intent. Magic, after all, is simply a matter of symbolism and intent, and changing people's hearts and minds is the kind of magic that's needed to bring lasting change. But it took someone who understood a different sort of magic to enlighten Derek Boa.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Short Story: "Fair Game" (1 comments)
The recent protest and arrests at "The Army Experience" in Philly may be a taste of what's to come. What if the need for corporate warriors in the call centers where social engineering is used to attack prospective 'customers' drives companies to model the DoD and use multi-user sim games to recruit young scam artists? Look in on the protest at "The Suasive Experience" that Margot Gaersbach is covering and see for yourself.
Friday, September 25, 2009 Short Story: "Ping Fa" (3rd in a series) (4 comments)
Everyone knows what warfare is, but what is peacefare? How can we achieve peace as an objective if we can only think about it as a lack of war? Melissa Fox, a new member of Constitutional Evolution, has accepted the challenge laid out for her by Derek Boa. If we ever hope to live in a world defined by peacefare, we need to be able to think and speak about it. Start with the idea, and learn its name: Ping Fa.
Monday, September 21, 2009 Short Story: "Motivation"
Is reading progressive news the extent of your involvement in fostering change? What would it take for you to put some skin in the game? If knowing that there's a problem isn't enough, would a loved one have to be at risk, injured or killed? We're each on our own path, and contribute in our own way. And some people, such as Derek Boa, are best at encouraging others to become involved, by getting them to see their own purpose.
Monday, September 21, 2009 Short Story: "Peace Initiative" (2nd in a series) (1 comments)
The words we use define how we think, speak and act. Control the public's vocabulary, and you control their actions. Right-wing strategists practice it daily. But so can we. Take a hint from the activists in 'Constitutional Evolution', and help to turn the chaos on the corner back to a rational debate about the issues, rather than a celebration of willfully manipulated ignorance. Or better yet, make Derek Boa's group real.
Sunday, September 20, 2009 Short Story: "Motivation" (1 comments)
Noticing that something's wrong may be the first step towards fixing it, but ideas alone aren't enough to activate most people. Emotion gives a stronger push, especially when a loved one suffers or dies. And then there are those special few who have the knack of turning people on to activism. Not the ones who use fear as a weapon, but rather those, such as Derek Boa, who are able to expose a person's true purpose in life.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Short Story: "Intermediary" (1 comments)
A complicit press is essential to the manipulation of gov't officials by corporate interests, and of the citizenry by compromised gov't officials. That was how the myths that shrouded what really happened on 9/11 were built, and how we were lied into war and the commission of war crimes. Now the press is enabling the unhinged right wing to destroy the workings of democracy. What if they succeed?
Saturday, September 12, 2009 Short Story: "Forced Inquiry" (4 comments)
Have you ever wondered whether there's a scientific explanation for why right-wingers, as a group, seem to be incapable of feeling compassion for other human beings? So did Paula Isikov, but it didn't go well. First, the blogosphere claimed that her rejected research paper smeared conservatives, and now it's getting personal. Take a look. What do you think?
Thursday, September 10, 2009 Short Story: "Patient Zero" (2 comments)
I wrote this story in October 2007, but I suspect the insurance industry would react the same way today. Here's a taste: Panicked reports from the office kept Dennis Furlin from paying more attention at the insurance industry conference. Maybe he should have.
Saturday, September 5, 2009 Short Story: "Suppression"
In September 2007, when I wrote this story, the will of Congress was being blocked by the Bush/Cheney administration. Today, the reverse is true, but President Obama may be about to spurn his human constituency to bow to the health insurers who line Congress' pockets and mislead the public. In my fantasy, he summons the same strength of will as my character does, and calls the conservatives out for their dereliction of oath.
Sunday, November 16, 2008 On the Money (1 comments)
We just flipped an electoral coin and selected a president. But which side won... "In God We Trust" or "E Pluribus Unum"?
Thursday, October 9, 2008 End the Charade (2 comments)
We've been had. It's time to pull down the stage.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 The Greening of the Candidate (3 comments)
Have you seen something that seemed a bit off, but wasn't suspicious enough to report? It might have been meaningless. Maybe it was incompetence. But what if it was intentional? What if it's part of something so large you have trouble wrapping your mind around it?
