A Message To Our Veterans

To our Veterans I'd like to say a very humble thank you. That thank you extends back to the first battles fought to secure the peace for some, sovereignty for others and freedom many generations ago.

A "just" war is fought for those reasons and is the sacrifice that a people are willing to make to secure their sovereignty and freedom or that thereof for others. The truth is that the real enemy is war as much as it is threats to sovereignty and freedom. Perhaps when that is considered then Veterans everywhere will be recognized together for they are the only ones who truly know that price. Perhaps despotic leaders or agendas that lead the people to war will become a thing of the past and become replaced by the Veterans of organizations like the United Nations. Peacekeepers are Veterans too.

Their symbol as it is for many Veterans is one of might for right rather than might is right to coin a phrase from T. H. White's The Sword In The Stone.

When we all can sit down at the same table and agree what is right for us and what is not and what is not right to decide for people, then the valuable lesson that the deeds of the Veteran have taught us will have been learned.

Thank you to our Veterans and Peacekeepers

Brian Joseph Johns

About My Book Characters...

For those that think my characters come from video games that I play, I'd say no to that. None of my books are fan fiction (though I had started some stories based in the Marvel Universe and the Star Wars Universe that I'd put on hold about a year and a half ago).

I write the story first and the characters I slowly develop as the story progresses. Sometimes, when I am part way through what I am writing, I want to visualize and get a better picture so I try creating that character in a video game. I recently wrote an article about this topic. That starts with a character from my books that already exists, not one that existed in a game world, or that I created for a game. I've never taken any of my characters or the ideas for my books from another creative property.

It would be fun to write for other pre-created worlds and concepts in a fan fiction story, but for now I want to get my own well founded first.

So the Butterfly Dragon and her counterpart the Dragon Butterfly both are my concepts and characters and started from my own ideas (away from video games). The Butterfly Dragon existed as a counterpart to Alicia Westin's Night Style character, and as the foundation of their friendship. Keep in mind that I am doing this on a very tight and limited budget and pretty much by myself. If I could afford to hire artists to work with in developing concepts then I most certainly would. For now its just myself.

So, I just wanted to say that the characters and stories are completely original (not coming from any video game or other source) and the delay in publishing is as a result not my intent, but a result of this cult.

I am Brian Joseph Johns and this is http://poetryandfiction.blogspot.ca.

Of Butterfly Dragon, Dragon Butterfly and character design...

I've been playing games from the Saints Row series. I am a firm believer in the fact that books, movies, television and games are a great way to and that they are make believe. That means that you can peruse them with the only risk being emotional.

They are most certainly a powerful medium and most parents' efforts should be directed towards getting their children ready for when they can make their own judgements about what is right and wrong, and learning to accept the responsibility for their bad choices but teaching them to feel confident enough to make the right ones. The ones that they wont regret years down the road and decisions that they make of their own accord (ie not as a result of peer pressure or their impressions gained by outside influences that contradict their own notion of good and bad and everything in between).

I don't have any children, which means I am free to peruse whatever I like in terms of entertainment (I usually like very good stories, drama and action in my movies though I like story driven movies as well). Some movies and games that I peruse have violence in them but I am not a violent person really. Some movies and games that I peruse have references to drugs (or more recently, drug use in one of them).

When you buy a movie, a book, a television show or a game, you only get to see the cover and short caption related to the plot. When you buy it, you are taking a chance that it is going to be in your tastes and hopefully that it is going to affect you in some way. Challenge your thinking and sometimes even shock you because when it does, it makes you think about things you might not have thought about from the safety of your predictable surroundings though I like predictable surroundings. So they're a thrill from the safety of your zone of predicable safety.

So as I said, I bought Saints Row 4 and Saints Row 2 on sale expecting something a little bit different and it has such a good interface for doing characters that I thought I`ll do up a character of Butterfly Dragon (in Saints Row 4) to how I envision her, and see how it goes. I managed to get her pretty close to the look that I envision but the costume needs a lot more work seeing as it is a canned suit from the game. The character's looks appear almost exactly how I envision her though aside from her clothing.

I`ve done the same in DC Universe Online (I`d do the same thing with Marvel`s games but they haven't put one out where you can design your own hero using Marvel`s system and powers).

In Saints Row 2, I created the Dragon Butterfly to how I envision her (obviously limited by the fact that it is multiple choice really, but I got it very close to her look and she really looks great in terms of design though not enough choices in clothing or tattoos).

While playing the Butterfly Dragon character in Saints Row 4, there is a questionable scene where the character actually gets involved in the "partying", which goes far beyond anything I'd envisioned for the character and the Butterfly Dragon, but this isn't the story of the Butterfly Dragon. It's the story of Saint's Row and I put a character from one of my novels into it and got some unexpected results. So the reason that I am saying this is because if anyone out there that is carrying the "weight" or aspects of the Heylyn Yates character from my book The Butterfly Dragon II: Dragon Butterfly, watch out because some people might try to put something onto you that is not a part of the character Heylyn Yates (Ai Yuanlin Ying).

She's a headstrong girl as she was growing up. She never really got into "partying" a lot because she was always so obsessed with designing and spent a lot of time training for her three black belts (in Kung Fu which I believe does not use the Kyu system of progression, Tae Kwon Do and Goju Jujitsu Ryu). The character does drink on occasion (though rarely excessively). The character does not get involved in much more than that at all.

So if anything comes your way in regard to that, keep in mind that the character, or myself do not condone excessive activities in that way. That just means, its Ok to have fun responsibly, ie don't drive if you're drinking, stay away from drugs and make sure you stay with your friends and leave together (leaving the driving to a designated driver or even better, a taxi). Heylyn rarely does "party" though she loves dancing and drugs are not a part of her being at all. So the Butterfly Dragon has nothing to do with drugs in that way. She helped Monique to get away from a path that could have landed her in a gutter. Heylyn is head strong, independent enough to make her own decisions and she usually makes good ones. After the runway fashion shows she designs for, there is often an after show party where she usually socializes with those in her business over a drink. I myself don't smoke or use narcotics at all and I drink on occasion so don`t expect those things from the character or myself.

I posted this partly as it seems that the cult spying on my computer illegally (again, I am not a criminal or a member of a gang and its conducted by a local collective in the community illegally) seem to have a pretty good idea about the people I used as a character reference for the characters of my books. So this is mostly a heads up to those Women to be on guard for the activities of this cult in relation to the characters. If you start getting stalked about activities that don't seem to coincide with the characters of the book, chances are its the cult who conduct the illegal spying at work. Their reach is quite far and devious though I'm working on getting them "caught" with their hand in the cookie jar.

As far as Dragon Butterfly goes, she too is even more rigid that Heylyn. I can`t say too much without giving away plot details. She is a ruthless killer, who will befriend someone and then quickly dispatch them to seek and ends to her ultimate goals which I will never divulge. In the Saint's Row universe, she'd never get involved in running an empire and be more likely to take them down, though its not quite so simple as that. You wouldn't be likely to meet her in an office party as much as running into her on the street. She'd just kind of show up from out of the corner of your eye.

Again this is just a testing ground to try out various designs for the characters and in case someone is carrying the weight of those characters. I never take anything that I write from a video game. Never. I write first and create the character in the book and start the book off, then after a few chapters in I might try to feel them out in a game or even a 3D program or Photoshop (from scanned hand sketches). Games are great tools for that and giving them a bit of a visual life. The game designers really put some great tools for designing the facial features and body that make a lot possible in terms of character design.

As I was getting to my point about books, movies, television shows and video games. As Forest Gump's Mother used to say: Books, movies, television shows and video games are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. When you buy it, you're taking a chance. Nobody should ever be penalized for the movies they watch, the books they read or the television or video games that they play. They're make believe. You never know what's going to happen between the beginning and the ending. You might not agree with it, but its part of the experience. I stand by that fact that they are and should be protected forms of expression. Hopefully most people will use them responsibly as such.

I honestly think that games and movies are a lot alike in that aspect and some games like graphic novels and books are designed primarily for mature gamers. In many households across the country, there are adults, couples, game parties and many other experiences that have turned it into a social endeavor. Though I'd be just as likely to curl up with Heylyn on the couch and watch a quiet movie together (in my dreams), I believe in the fact that those mediums of presentation should always be well protected. Years ago some people tried to ban Catcher In The Rye and even The Chrysalids and comic books from Libraries and Schools too. When perusing a form of media like the ones I`ve discussed, you might see something that you don`t agree with, and if it challenges you to think about that aspect of life or another point of view, then its done its job. You have to be challenged by something to consider why it is you disagree with it. Some content is not intended for younger viewers and people have to remember that with books, movies and games.

Though I enjoy the Saints Row series of games, I wouldn't like being a gangster, even if the gangster is the focal point of the movie or game. Then again, does watching The Silence Of The Lambs make you an FBI agent or a serial killer? Does it mean you agree with serial killing? Or even just killing? None of the above. It challenges you to take a trip with characters that you grow to identify with (or don't identify with at all) and then venture with them through a an adventure or trial of some form. They either survive, changed by their experience or they don't survive. In either case can it can be an enlightening experience and perhaps it is one of the most potent forms of learning by the fact that you can have such experiences without the real life risks.

None of my written characters are based upon anything to do with the video games that I play at all. I write, come up with a character in the book, then try to manifest that character in a video game so I can try to embody the characters in the game world.

So to play as a gangster does not mean to agree with them anymore than it means to watch Silence Of The Lambs is to agree with serial killing. Now someone is going to bring up the show Dexter.

I am Brian Joseph Johns and this is http://poetryandfiction.blogspot.ca.

Congratulations To Two Internet Innovators...

I'd like to take a moment to catch up on some needed news with two announcements.

First of all, congratulations to I Justine on her new book release at iTunes!

Secondly, congratulations to Yaya Han on the release of a comic book character based upon her called The Wonderous Girl Saga 1 and 2, both available from Lion Forge Comics.

See her site where she talks about having the chance to collaborate with Lion Forge Comics on the series.

I am looking forward to reading both at some point in the near future!

Brian Joseph Johns

Origins, Ideas and Inspiration

This post is not so much a gripe as it is a bit more constructive, though I don't take back what I've said about being abused and stalked. Its a harrowing experience and one that I shall never back down from but not just for myself but for its innocent victims.

Yesterday morning I purchased a project kit (something like a raspberry pi) which met my design requirements and very limited budget. It was advertised as a wearable computer which is something a friend of mine that I had worked with in the past had spoken of.

I have no intentions of building a wearable computer at all and as a matter of fact, the device I chose to work with was actually a bit too big for what I have in mind, but it's a great device and it seems to have a great variety of features and information to draw upon. So I have no intention of building a wearable computer, or for that matter stealing anyone else's ideas even if they were a part of Dick Tracy comics more than 80 years ago and part of his wrist band communicator back then.

But if you did want to build a wearable computer, or a HMD (Hat Mounted Display) Workstation (the computer on top of the beak of your baseball cap while a mini lcd that flips down from underneath the beak with camera based gesture control system like Microsoft Kinect), or the micro brain module for a giant robot, or the software and algorithmic systems of a biomagnetic diagnostic device similar to a medical tricorder from Star Trek using a phased array of small magnetic field detectors attached to the device and breaking down the output for analysis by frequency spectrum (Fourier or Fast Fourier) and then apply a heuristic algorithm to recognize patterns that represent anomalies that coincide with common health issues, or even evaluate different clothing wearable solar charging capabilities to power or charge such a device with the sun when you're out for a stroll (for a few ideas off the top of my head), you might want to check out the ODroid.

Keep in mind that you'll be getting your hands dirty in programming code (I haven't seen mine yet but I'm thinking whatever is available that I work in for the installed O/S which is either Linux or Android) and maybe a bit of solder. I like coding, but I'm still a bit wry in the improvised electronics department. They're still usable though without the need for tinkering so that's always an option too.

So check out the ODroid if you're the mad or happy inventor type (or both like me). Then you might want to order from ameriDroid like I did (I'm sure they'd love the business though its a high demand area right now with great potential).

They'll ship it to you good and quick and in no time, you'll be building that giant robot, or a micro-controller for a fleet of ten thousand flocking algorithm based aerial drones to wreak havok on your enemies.

Hwaaa haa haa haa haa. <rubs hands together>.

...for ten minutes until the batteries run out and then you have ten thousand dead flocking drones fall from the sky at once. Still working on overcoming that hurdle.

Personally I'd want to use such a system of flocking drones for search and rescue operations. My love interest where ever she is right now made me say that part.

Highly recommended if you're a tinkerer or aspiring tinkerer like myself.

None of my ideas, including A Lady's Prerogative or The Butterfly Dragon come from others. Some coming to life were inspired by others and there's a very big difference. A Lady's Prerogative started with a tale I wrote in my pre-teens about a Witch who used her powers for good and formed a group of like minded Women with such powers to do good. For the show Charmed, A Lady's Prerogative served as a tip of my hat to the creative people who came up with the show, neither is really similar beyond the fact that they both put Women at the forefront and as the central heroes of the idea. Its an inspiration. Just like Joss Whedon's adaption of Buffy The Vampire Slayer for television and all of the shows it spawned or just about any James Cameron movie where the Women are central figures and the driving force to the plot (though I still think that Tia Carrere's character in True Lies should have had a redemption scene and switched sides but that's another matter). Big influences in my life, but not the source of my material but rather partly the inspiration for it.

The Butterfly Dragon's first story where the field appeared was when I was around 13, and wrote a story about Weltherwithsp's field and about what happened when someone left some trash in it (ie someone dropped a can). My parents even read that story too. No Weltherwithsp in it yet, but that was part of the plan (although his name had not been thought up at that point, but there was a dragon that lived there mostly because one of my favourite tales when I was a child was Puff The Magic Dragon which my Mother used to sing for me with her guitar). The Chinese influence in the story is and Heylyn's character (whose real name in the story is actually Ai Yuanlin Ying) is a composite of some very influential Women in my life, including two who were girlfriends, both of whom were from the Far East. Norler is a bit of my dad, and a bit of some other guys that I've looked up to and very much respected for their world view and attitude. What they did with their influence no matter where it came from (even the friend who came up with the wrist wearable computer idea is in the character for drive and fairness in business). When I was growing up, I knew a girl that was a bit heavier that was very pretty and she ended up with a good looking boyfriend. She wanted to be a lab researcher (for real and I mean that). So Alicia was inspired by her, and a character who represented beauty on many levels by her intelligence and virtue though she might have lost out had she not found a friend like Heylyn who helped her to get over her lack of confidence and poor self image. This is the power of the Butterfly. Beauty and artistry are not just about vanity and selfishness at all. That's what the whole children's story of the Butterfly Dragon is really about. The idea that those who people might see as being the most frivolous and unneeded might be the ones who in the end save you.

The story is published at The Field, The Butterflies And The Dragon, a children's story that I wrote to accompany the story The Butterfly Dragon: Heroes Of Our Own and to represent the story that Heylyn's Mother and Grandmother told her as a child. As a child, Heylyn got it right away and when she was older, she used her artistry and talent to help Alicia overcome her poor self image and her fears.

Here is the children's tale in full:

The Field, The Butterflies And The Dragon by Heylyn Yates (as told to her by her Grandmother and her Mother when she was a child)

Dedicated to Universal Children's Day

The Field...

This tale is about a large field where many creatures lived

and to the things that lived there the field was their entire world.

All of the creatures that lived there lived there in harmony,

and some were more dangerous than others.

They still managed to live together peacefully.

There were the creepy crawly ants with their long antennas.

There were the slimy worms with rings around their bodies.

There were the buzzing hornets with their sharp stingers.

There were the slithering snakes with their tough scales.

There were the squeaking mice with their sensitive whiskers.

There were the soaring birds with their plumage of feathers.

And there were the butterflies with their grace, beauty and artistry.

They had no enemies and the field would provide all of the food that they needed to grow up and have children, starting the whole cycle over again.

It was very peaceful there until one day the animal collectors happened upon this field.

A very vile group of animal collectors whose cruelty was without equal would collect the most beautiful specimens of each of the creatures and keep them trapped inside of a jar while they tormented them.

These cruel animal collectors would show up and claim one of the most beautiful of each of the creatures from the field young and old alike every time, taking them away never to be seen again where they were kept in a jar while they were tormented and exploited for the benefit of the animal collectors.

The creatures had a meeting and every one of them that lived in the field showed up.

The creatures tried to figure out what they were going to do about these cruel animal collectors.

The mice said: The snakes can bite them.

The snakes replied: They're too big. They will throw us and stomp on us.

The worms said: The birds can eat them.

To which the birds replied: They're too big. They will hunt us down and capture us too.

The ants said: The hornets can sting them.

To which the hornets said: They're too big. They will smack us with their hand and we'd have to say "bye bye".

The birds said: The mice can scare them.

The mice replied: They're too big. They'll just jump on us and squash us flat.

Then the butterflies said: We can stop them.

To which the rest of the creatures laughed asking them:

What ever can a butterfly do?

All you have is grace, beauty and artistry?

The butterflies left the meeting feeling worthless and like they could not help because they could not do anything but be graceful, beautiful, artistic and vain while all the other creatures could at least do something.

...The Butterflies...

One night the butterflies got together and decided to make a cocoon.

When they made it they included an antenna from the ants,

a whisker from the mice, a feather from the birds,

a stinger from the hornets, the ring from one of the worms,

and the scale from one of the snakes, and a pair of their wings.

Then they left it to grow and grow it did.

One day the cruel animal collectors returned to the field to collect one of each of the rest of the creatures.

Each of the creatures was put in the jar as the next one was collected.

When the animal collectors went to take a butterfly the already humongous cocoon opened.

...And The Dragon...

Out came a ferocious Dragon.

The Dragon had the wings of a butterfly so it was beautiful.

It's butterfly's wings had the feathers of a bird so it could fly.

It had the scales of a snake so its skin was tough.

It had the antennas of an ant so it could read minds.

It had the whiskers of a mouse, so it could sense danger from afar.

It had the rings of a worm, so it could heal very quickly,

And It had the stinger of a hornet so it was deadly.

The Dragon said to the cruel animal collectors:

You've taken one each of the creatures of the field.

You may keep each one but for a price.

For the mouse, I will take your left leg.

For the worm, I will take your right leg.

For the ant I will take your left arm.

For the bird I will take your right arm.

For the snake I will take your neck

and for the butterfly I will take your head.

The animal collectors dropped all of the creatures they'd collected that day and tried to run before they were stopped again by the Dragon.

The Dragon spoke:

For all of the creatures that you've already taken I will take your lives.

The animal collectors cried:

No, no! We shall return them at once.

The animal collectors returned a short time later with all of the creatures they'd collected and set them free though the creatures had been tormented to no end and were emotionally frail and distraught.

The Dragon then asked the returned creatures whether the animal collectors should be allowed to go free or to pay the price to which the creatures replied...

After the creatures had made their decision the creatures of the field never laughed at the butterflies from that day forth and they lived happily ever more.

The End

So that story is really only a piece of the whole and it is not taken from anything else that I've seen or read by someone else. It is inspired by the people that have made a difference in the lives of others that few seem to recognize but I think that is changing.

The ideas are drawn from inspiration, not someone else's control. There's a big difference. Control is the usurping of someone's freewill by whatever means to bend them or twist them into saying or doing something that they might not say or do otherwise. Inspiration is the choice of an individual to acknowledge and represent those who've set examples before them that have affected their life for the better. Control over another is the antithesis of freewill while inspiration is the manifestation of freewill with regard to others.

While control might be fun role play to some in the bedroom (me included), in real life situations using any abusive means, abusive emotionally, abusive physically or abusive biomagnetism to do so and especially against the freewill and consent of a victim is just plain wrong just as reversing the definition of words to their opposites to get away it is. Once again like a rapist who uses "I thought no meant yes" as a defense for their case. Regardless of whether one is sure or not, one should always stop and talk if their partner is saying "no" or "don't" or "this is making me uncomfortable".

Unfortunately my stalkers and tormentors, the ones I complain about from time to time are not as such at all and freely attempt what they do without mercy. They believe for whatever reason that their essence makes a person do what they do, and they've made it a competition of twisting this effect to their benefit and for their credit. A form of theft and extortion if you will. Even something like this post they'll try to steal as their own for their credit and then dump their day's deeds upon their victim (while of course they parade my deeds as their own). They even use illegal eavesdropping technology for spying on what others do on their computer so they know what there is to steal using their method.

Even the impression of their want to control others via hate, they often try to push onto their victim (myself they do this to often). I would never try to control anyone against their will in real life, but often I get punished for what this cult attempts upon me.

It regularly swaps identities with their victims so that one of their members might seem to be the victim while the victim is the perpetrator! A very devious cult for certain and one whom I will never trust again. Ever. Every time I've relaxed enough to let down my guard, they've done the whole thing over again. Once bitten, twice shy.

So suffice it to say that A Lady's Prerogative, The Butterfly Dragon and The Field, The Butterflies And The Dragon are all my original stories with original characters not taken from any creative property. The superhero characters of The Butterfly Dragon don't have their origins in name or abilities in any other character that I've seen in comic book or video game history. They are inspired by all of those who I've taken time to mention in my inspirations page and many more that can be found on The Butterfly Dragon page.

And by the way, my real life love interest is a Chinese lady and the way I feel about that is something that only I can change and that she has the last word on. This cult has been trying for years since I`ve discovered them, and they've not budged me even once since I've known about them and their schemes both past and present. I am grateful and very fortunate to have been in a relationship five years ago with a Korean lady, my last relationship to date (and I don't sleep around and I am definitely monogamous). I have always been grateful when a lady chooses me and shares her time and her intimacy with myself.

Thank you for reading my books,

Brian Joseph Johns

The story The Field, The Butterflies And The Dragon is a mythical fairy tale written by Brian Joseph Johns for the story "The Butterfly Dragon: Heroes Of Our Own" also by Brian Joseph Johns

Dedicated to children everywhere and released on Universal Children's Day.

For my Mother Rita Johns with love made butterflies her whole life. For my Grandmothers who taught their children to love. For Yi with just the same. For Jan my friend and priceless in a deadline. For Jasmine may you find your peace. For Yaya Han who might be what Heylyn Yates would be like in real life. For Kelly Hu who is as I pictured as Heylyn in look and in character. For Miranda for being a real hero. For Katrina whom I hope achieved her goals and dreams. For Giselle, Hannah, Lillian, Jennifer, Keri, Louise and Lianne lovers and friends alike. For Jake and Carter who helped me to remember what it was like to be a kid again. And to my family thank you.

For Moms and Dads of all nationalities everywhere who care for and nurture their children.

Look after your field and remember that your butterflies might be your saviours some day.

Assumed mythos origins for purposes of the story:

Far East, Norwegian, Scandinavian, Polynesian, Aboriginal North American

Themes: defending grace, beauty, artistry, the vulnerable

Heylyn Yates (Ai Yuanlin Ying) is an assumed name for the purposes of the narrative of the story, The Butterfly Dragon: Heroes Of Our Own.
Copyright © 2014 Brian Joseph Johns

Truckers Are No Schmuckers...

During my pre-career education (trained as a database programmer on a database built around a pascal back end) back around 1986 I used to work part-time and weekends for a furniture moving company.

I came into the company with a lot of assumptions about the nature of the people I'd be working with and despite those assumptions, I found a core of good people who are actually quite amazing.

One of the things that you'll find about trucking, is the fact that none of the drivers are really schmucks. Especially the ones who run their own business, own their own trucks. That being said, most who do are running a serious business that requires their full attention to many details.

You have to be good at geometry for one. Your business and finances depend upon it. If you're running with empty space during a shipment, that's lost money the more distance its empty. So being able to fill all of your space is of utmost importance. Most of that space is measured in cubic feet (or by weight in the United States) where a load is roughly seven pounds per cubic foot on average for common consumer goods and items. Keeping all of this in consideration, accurately knowing the space you have to work with and filling it pin to pin is what its about. Warehouse to warehouse its all on skids, going from other locations though, like residence to residence or residence to warehouse and you've got a whole different matter.

All of it has to be packed safely and soundly within the truck so as to avoid damage (that costs the business as well both the insurance deductible and the insurance rates and business repute). So packing an entire three bedroom house into a 2500 cubic foot truck and then unloading it requires a special talent and touch despite what most people may think. Being able to do such a feat, with three guys, sometimes four if your lucky without damage is another. So usually the driver, and the crew will do better based upon their conception of geometry, their endurance, their ability to be polite and courteousness with the customer.

So truck drivers who run their own fleet, whether its pin to pin doing any kind of goods, or household and consumer items still have to know a great deal about those aspects, and then on top of it the business finances of owning and operating a truck (which is similar to a household mortgage and costs about as much). Then there's the insurance and special licenses one must have to haul certain kinds of goods. Different load technologies and load platforms too require special skills and licences as well. So hauling flammable liquid might require different licenses and insurance than hauling frozen goods might. Then, when the driver has their load, and is on the road, not only do they have to be mindful of their own mistakes, they have to be mindful of those of others as well in order to keep everyone safe. Not quite so simple when the back of your vehicle might be as far as seventy feet away from your driver's seat. Not only that, but the mechanics of steering it when you're backing up are like the mechanics of trying to fly a fighter jet or a spacecraft. You actually encounter similar hurdles if you're not careful such as gimbal lock (in old space and air craft when the instrumentation of old direct drive surfaces of an aircraft were represented by euler angles and when one axis would cross over into the control zone of another axis, locking your control surface and preventing you from steering in either pitch or roll). So despite some age old cliches, when you really think about it, most truckers actually have to be quite on the ball to avoid these caveats. Maybe they do have the right stuff?

Not to mention the fact that when dealing with their load and in the pounds or cubic foot notation, they have to pretty good at math, because once again, empty space in your load means lost money. And that means that your gas and insurance are costing you more (ie their cost is being amortized across the breadth of shipments that you're driving with so more shipments of value means those expenses are absorbed into the cost of the total shipments). These are all consideration when it comes to such things.

When writing software, and especially working in 3D coding (I do work in that paradigm occasionally having written my own antiquated engine and API) there are many concepts that one encounters while dealing with volume problems, similar to those that Sir Roger Penrose used to tackle in his mathematical proof of surface tiling.

So maybe the next time you look at them, you might do so a little differently.

Copyright © 2015 Brian Joseph Johns

PS: I started out at there at 79 East Don Roadway (in Toronto) and then worked several other locations across the city.

[My name is Brian, not Ryan or Jason or Chuck or Sammy or Bobby or Mike or Kane]

Stories Update...

Stories Update:

The stories from http://poetryandfiction.blogspot.ca have been moved from here to their own respective sites since I last updated them here almost a year ago. I hadn't been managing the site frequently and therefore hadn't notified anyone.




In that time some of the books have been finished and a sequel started (in the case of The Butterfly Dragon). 

Meanwhile in a similar note, A Lady's Prerogative II: Wounded Aerth is finally finished though there might be a second draft edit soon.

A Lady's Prerogative stories are all now located at:
http://talesofthesanctum.blogspot.ca

• A Lady's Prerogative - [Finished]
  A yearly gathering of three ladies and their mentor turns into a magical adventure. Original fiction, story completed though receiving touch ups.
  
  Now in its own home at http://talesofthescanctum.blogspot.ca Original fiction. Finished.

• A Lady's Prerogative: Wounded Aerth - [Finished]
  
  The continuing story unfolds and their friendship will be put to the test as a new enemy enters the field: one of them. Controversial content. 
  Now in its own home at http://talesofthescanctum.blogspot.ca Original fiction. Finished.

• Testament Of Time - [In Progress] 
  A group of strangers awaken in a cramped dungeon, each from a different place and possibly a different time. A couple searches the world for clues to an ancient mystery. A pair of friends two centuries in the past are about to stumble upon that mystery. 
  Now in its own home at http://talesofthescanctum.blogspot.ca Original fiction. In progress. Updated infrequently.

The Butterfly Dragon stories are all now located at:
http://thebutterflydragon.blogspot.ca

• The Butterfly Dragon I: Heroes Of Our Own - [Finished]
  A beautiful fashion designer and her struggle to match the expectations of her. A long lost friend from high school with a secret that could change everything. A nemesis motivated by power and greed.
  
  Now in its own home at http://thebutterflydragon.blogspot.ca Original fiction. Finished.
  
  
  
• The Butterfly Dragon II: Dragon Butterfly - [In Progress]
  
  Alicia, Heylyn, Monique and Valeria are back in the second tale of The Butterfly Dragon.
  
  Heylyn Yates adopts a child after she travels to Japan, Korea and China in search of the answers her parents' death and to find the secret of the ancient Oriental children's tale told to Heylyn Yates by her Mother and Grandmother and ultimately her hidden legacy.
  
  Alicia and Norler have found love in one another and are looking to start a family. If her alter ego, her career and their dedication to their work don't get in the way, then a side effect with the SY formula that resulted in her powers might...
  
  Meanwhile the heroes find themselves the targets of Mr. Zek's replacement who is even more devious and dangerous, using hidden video, blackmail social media and their secrets to ruin them and their reputations forever.
  
  A serial killer who selects their victims carefully has been leaving victims scattered throughout the city. One of the girls, her super powers revealed becomes the prime suspect.
  
  All of these stories collide in Toronto, Canada at Dundas Square where a touring fashion show, Alicia's research and The Butterfly Dragon stand off against an ancient threat to the future of the world itself:
  
  The Dragon Butterfly.
  Now in its own home at http://thebutterflydragon.blogspot.ca Original fiction. In progress.
  

• The Archive - [In Progress] 
  Set in the future where the entire world of organic and inorganic matter takes part in simulation and computation. Enter Hadden, an Archivist who retrieves animal and plant specimens from simulations of our past to replace those missing from the genetic record. He finds himself embroiled in a plot with galactic consequences when he is asked to take part in a real life retrieval with the mysterious woman of his dreams...
  Now in its own home at http://welcometothepleroma.blogspot.ca Original fiction. In progress. Updated frequently.

I am Brian Joseph Johns and this is http://poetryandfiction.blogspot.ca.

Thank You To Some Old Friends...

I went out yesterday to get a replacement computer for my lightning struck system (I'm assuming as the computer mysteriously stopped functioning just after a storm).

I went to the great retailer from which I had originally purchased it and they handled my return quickly and gracefully.

The sales staff then quickly fixed me up with a replacement system which was perfect and functions great, if not even better than the last one. I am very grateful for the service offered by the store, the diversity of its employees which made it like the United Nations of computer stores.

Before I finish this post of thanks, I'd like to talk a little bit about memory, recognition and situation. Sometimes in some situations it is better not to address people you know or recognize from the past not because of any issues between you but to preserve the safety of their situation and I mean in regard to stalking by some people. When you've known people in an industry you tend to remember their faces and yesterday I encountered a few such faces which I thought I'd say hello to in a sort of directly hidden context.

Years ago during the dawn of microcomputing, I worked for a distributor (first in the warehouse as an order picker then as a junior technician). In that day and age, the fastest machine on the PC side of the fence was the 386 DX25 which ran at 25 Mhz and had a built in math coprocessor and was roughly around $3000 to $5000 dollars for a nice machine with all the fixings. The consumer level machine was the 386 SX16 (16 Mhz) and without the math coprocessor meaning anything with floating point calculations would take a bit longer (avoid running large spreadsheets on Lotus 123 or Quattro). Memory was purchased as DIPPs which were the chips that look like little bugs with a variety of contacts that look like legs. You needed to buy them in multiples of 8 and if your machine required parity, then you had to buy a ninth chip. It was around $300 for 256k or memory and most PCs at that time were still under 1 MB at 640k (because the Dos and ROM Bios memory space was allocated in the top 384k portion of the system). Some machines like the higher end one might have had 2 MB more either allocated as EMS or XMS depending on what you were running application wise. Windows at that time was still in prerelease, shipping as a scaled down version with desktop packages like Aldus Pagemaker because it was not finished being developed. It all ran on top of a 16 bit Dos, and even Windows at that time was a 16 bit GUI (not a full operating system). You needed to be concerned with mouse drivers for Dos too. So there was a lot going on at that time.

The VGA/MCGA card had just come out allowing your PC to produce onscreen a whopping 256 colours from a palette of 16.7M colours.

Working where I had been working, I was on the forefront of this wave which heralded the mark of its entry into portable and home computing. The networking technology at the time was all based in Novell's IPX/SPX and Novell certified network techs were an important part of any computer team. Of course universities had been using Unix based systems with X Windows for graphical interface and TCP/IP but most businesses were operating on either ethernet or token ring based network topologies which required test tools like BNC loopback connectors and BNC terminators. Much different than the RJ-45 based Cat-5 and 6E network cabling most common nowadays. Fibre optics was completely not available for networks unless you were in the military or rocket science.

I was trained as a programmer by the Government (after prematurely dropping out of school). The Government picked up the ball and sent me away to learn about the mechanics of technology and programming before arriving to work for the distributor, I had been using technology since my early childhood as my parents were musicians and my father a keyboard player. I had a natural affinity for such technology and my father used to let me write synth patches for his onstage performances. My parents became the highest paid bar and lounge act in the country. All that after coming from the absolute bottom (my single mother raised two boys from low income housing), eventually working her way up to buying their first home with my father when I was 8 or 9. So I have always been around persistence, creativity and technology.

At the distributor I worked for, I worked with a great team of people, both in the warehouse and then again when I was promoted to technician. The staff were very knowledgeable and the sales team were highly trained and just as knowledgeable especially in application of the technology for their customers needs. So it was a pretty awesome time to be around with lots of opportunity.

I loved my job so much that on my lunch hours, I wrote graphics demos to show off the new vga cards features (which the demos were then added to the showroom PCs thanks to the sales staff who saw them). After working in the warehouse, I'd recognized an area where potential product identification discrepancies could occur (the system was great as was the MIS department head Pierre as were the warehouse manager Chris, the senior picker Rob, and the receiver Darrell, all of whom I collaborated with voluntarily on an idea to improve the means of accurately being able to identify products during the picking process). So I wrote a database application that interfaced with the VAX mainframe (non-invasively) to access the product codes and descriptions (which ran and managed the whole country's product inventory and accounting system), which would then print a label for each of the products during the receiving process that synchronized the vendor's product identification with that of our internal product codes. This resulted in a forty percent improvement of product picking errors and around a 10% improvement of inventory discrepancies during audits. I saw some of the people I'd mentioned yesterday (or people that looked exceedingly like them but I wont say whom) but I didn't say hello in person if not only for their protection from the menace of the stalkers.

Such a group use non-recognition or communication with people you know as a justification to imply they are controlling you or even have possessed you, as bizarre as that might sound. This illusion is painted upon you by the group that do so in order to sell the idea to others that they are "controlling" you. If you communicate with someone that you do or did know from your past especially someone that was a friend, they might be subject to the same kind of tormenting that you are. I think that such a group are trying to erase a few people and steal their efforts from them by implying such control over them. So sometimes keeping a distance of communication with such people is as much for their protection as it is for yours. The last two posts on here probably made me sound like a lunatic, but the truth is that I am not involved with any subtance abuse or even excessive drinking (though I do like to drink occasionally). This is all about an activity that I've been trying to expose for some time. A lot of information about that activity can be found here at http://secretgameexposed.blogspot.ca.

Anyway, thanks for the good service at the computer shop and it was great to see those old friends again and maybe if the future holds it right, we'll see each other again under much better and more ideal circumstances.

As far as the stories are concerned, I am trying to sturdy myself up to work on them because when I do, there will be a great deal of attack from the members of this cult as I do. So they will be coming soon. So new chapters for Butterfly Dragon and A Lady's Prerogative very soon. I'm trying to sneak them in but the local stalkers watch me very closely and whenever I do, they're on me like a pack of wolves.

Finally, because I didn't reveal my friends at the store doesn't mean that because I talk about someone or something especially how I feel about them that by doing so that I am subjecting them to risk. I talked about Chinese culture and Dragons today on another blog, and that does not mean that I am subjecting them to further risk at all but trying to alleviate ignorance. So my love interest is still just the same as it was the day before and she's Mandarin Chinese. For me to suddenly about face and to go another direction after all I've invested in sticking by my feelings for her is just not possible unless she indicates that to me. It would be wrong for me to become attached to someone who has no similar feelings and I am mindful of that.

Locally the cult are trying to swap my identity with that of others in my building to convince the outside world that I am in a relationship or sleeping with someone in the building. There are a multitude of people the cult imply this as and to tell you the truth, I haven't been in a relationship in almost 5 years and I haven't slept with anyone in the same amount of time. I don't sleep around outside of relationships. So no, my girlfriend is not anyone in this building (200 Sherbourne Street) nor is it anyone in the neighbourhood though there are many admirable and attractive women around, I mean no disrespect. My love interest is a Mandarin Chinese lady. If I was Gay, and my love interest was a guy, I'd be just as defensive about that and my feelings but that is not the case. In other words I believe in the right of two consenting adults to be in a relationship regardless of culture or gender.

Oh yeah, I don't live at Finch Ave.

See the navigation bar on the right side of the screen for my details and the other blogs that I author and the navigation menu on the top for other pages on this blog.

Stay Safe And Be Well
I am Brian Joseph Johns and this is http://poetryandfiction.blogspot.ca.

Copyright © 2015 Brian Joseph Johns

Thoughts On Women And Men And Understanding. Thank you Anita.

I've been reading and following a bit about someone named Anita Sarkeesian, an outspoken media philosopher and feminist and sometimes critic of how women are portrayed in media.

Interestingly enough, I read that she is also a victim of cyber abuse as well unfortunately and very much undeservedly considering the nature of her efforts. My abusers and stalkers usually target me in real life and rarely if ever online and always in numbers. I thought I'd express some of my views on media and sexism.

I think most guys are pretty good when it comes to their treatment of women but there are always a few that make a bad name and sometimes some things just slip by without much thought at all by even the most sensitive of us.

Our impression of how we deal with and treat women is impacted by what we take in from media sources up to an age and point that I think we are the most impressionable. It is in this time that learning about relationships with members of the complimentary sex are very important and relating their feelings to ours.

Ultimately though I think that as we get older, our ideas of relationship are influenced by sexuality and how we perceive and often fantasize about the sex we are attracted to and hopefully are more focused around the person they are than and over idealization of our visual desires. Often we are attracted to the person that our mind loves and we find that person very visually appealing. The concept of a shared idea of visual sexuality will always exist and change in society as it has many times throughout history and is often represented in our art and media (See Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Monet and Vargas for example). Nudity and the human body are not any part of ugliness at all and make up part of a whole concept.

How women are treated or presented on the other hand within the context of any media form is something to think about and especially the age group to which that presentation is targeted. Media in all of its forms has a history of growing and maturing with society and as such, books, radio, television, movies and now video games have all gone through that process from their conceptualization through to their maturity. However that process requires voices to be active and express grievances so that it will help all sides grow and understand one another. Ultimately what someone like Anita does for video games and media will bring more women into gaming and from that stand point, it is a good thing for us all. Its kind of nice to rescue each other.

In terms of mature sexuality, I believe that`s not a liability of human existence like some people but a device in the language of the expression of love. However in most media forms that expression as it starts is often objectified for an audience in sacrifice of plot, story and meaningful characters that the audience actually care about in order to lure them on the basis of their hormones rather than their minds. This is usually the case until it matures as a form of media and many have already gone through this transformation. We see in modern media such books, television shows, movies and directors that take all their characters seriously rather than relying on type casts or stereotypes to reach the audience in regard to both the nature of people and the various gender identities. Many of the ideas that hinder progress run rampant through society as we speak (such as those who attempt to peak hate amongst others socially mostly to control them) but ultimately in the long run the better sensibility that takes people in this holistic idea will win.

Sexuality will always have a place in our media and there will likely be exploitation to go along with it as long as people are not educated not just about sex, but about actually developing empathic relationships with members of their complimentary sex (by that I mean the sex one is attracted to) and ultimately with both sexes. As a device for building tension in the plot or character interaction it can be quite effective as long as its context is not lost. Play will always exist and play can be fun with a partner as long as it is mutual.

To help some guys better understand what it must be like for some women, here's a thought.

I wonder what it would be like if as guys, we had to wear our sex organs out in some form of "display" in front of us to be thought of as "attractive", kind of like a push up bra for our privates, maybe with a pair of tight shorts or something so that women could whistle at us and give us cat calls or comment about us if our privates were "too small".

I for one would lose out often because I am not overly well endowed and I wonder how that would make me feel in comparison to other guys that were. That would be the case if guys wore their privates like some women are pressured into wearing or baring their breasts. Hopefully for most people their sense of self esteem isn't related to the size of the their genitalia or other parts of their anatomy but rather their whole being. Personal beauty can always be captured by good artists, and not because they make it better than it is, but rather they are good at seeing it for all its glory both inside and out.

So if guys were exposed in a similar manner, there might be a different attitude from many of them, and unfortunately it has been women who've had that to bare for the rest of us (seeing as that part of their anatomy is often subject to conjecture because it is prominent), so naturally I'd listen to what they have to say in that regard.

Imagine if we were on display like that and then judged by our size. I think you'd find that a lot guys would behave much differently and you'd probably have a lot more men talking about sexual exploitation.

Listen to what she has to say because in the end, its only going to be good for the gaming community because more women will feel welcome because they won't be subject to confidence issues regarding how they will be accepted. They're always welcome to the game and as we see more games and media sources recognizing this, the more time we'll share in those media sources.

Stay Safe And Be Well
Brian Joseph Johns

PS: I was not possessed or controlled by anyone into posting this. Just another way that thieves of what other people say and do operate. If you believe it, then you're believing a lie and chances are there's many more that such ideas are built upon.

The Thief 2015 Version

A thief once came into my life,

and took away by point of knife,

my love of illusion, an inner wealth,

my love of life, my mental health.

I searched to and I searched fro,

for that thief had left me low.

A blade of lies, hilt of deceit,

what thieves take leaves none discrete.

To take one's things can leave a mess,

and more their value heightens distress.

But when they take parts of your life,

experiences claimed by good and strife.

Parts of your being which you did sew,

your seeds for future none would know.

You give them life and keep their home,

before they've blossomed the thief is gone.

To wear your life as if their own,

to bear your past, leave you unknown.

Your words and deeds have built their throne,

while they've left you without home.

I never stopped my vigil against this beast,

for ae'r my loss not be their feast.

When I told my friends of all this strife,

They merely said: "I guess that's life".

Brian Joseph Johns

I wrote a poem like this in 2001 and published it online (I've long since lost that version of it along with another poem called Revolution, which secretly became quite popular), The thief in this poem is really a group of people who try to take things from you by deceiving you and others of the original creator of whatever they attempt to take. Some believe that the creations of others comes from the proximity of others to you but this can be foiled by the thieves, who try to always make their influence appear the best, often in mockery of other cultures like Japan, Korea or even China and Thailand who believe that your behaviour after an interaction indicates your level of respect for them and they are all cultures for whom I have a great deal of respect and care.

So a group of people have made that into a group based game of affecting or swaying that perception by affecting your behaviour after interactions with certain groups in order to favour those of the people attempting such a thing unfortunately. The same people do so by trying to imply their control over you when you do good after such an interaction. So what it comes down to is that when you write something for someone you care about, its stolen by such people as being their own. These people by the way (illegally) monitor computers for such content to take by such means, taking it even before it gets published online because their eavesdropping system catches it before hand. They're not Government by the way. It is usually a group of people close to where you live that do so or at least have access to this eavesdropping (which can see the contents of your screen or log your key strokes). So it is this group that sees what you do, then makes it a game of taking it from you socially while abusing you.

So those are the thieves.

I actually started writing and pursuing it as a hobby that I took seriously (on and off) from the time I was eleven though I`d started writing stories when I was around five or six. I'd been invited to an extra curricular writing class at school when I was eleven. The school was Kingslake Public School and I had a great and very inspiring teacher there who noticed that I enjoyed creating worlds, drawings and poetry (poetry and doodles literally covered my school books front and back back in 1978). It was a great class that I enjoyed, and did well at, landing a few pieces of my work in the school foyer at the time. Not bad for a nerd.

Nothing Taken

Just in case you think it gone,
you'll see in like that its quite strong.
No keen sense hath to it been so lost,
much more than so be winter's frost.

Some dragons leave while others stay,
this dragon will always find a way.
None these words have fled my mind,
for of their like you will not find.

In any verse that's left this tongue,
May I grow old? I'll still feel Jung.
This word's play isn't for give or take,
Nor will you find that within it fake.

Words stretched hither from a branch,
to fall their length before your stance.
You may climb within a day,
or you may fall, 'pon the ground you lay.

Some do learn from what they read.
Yet others feel their only greed.
To take the credit for what they've nought,
Take from again by whom its wrought.

Lay their claim by blood much better,
an heir to theft that's unbefettered.
For if you take from those unknown,
use it to keep those who've much grown.

Who would believe these by words gone?
Much has your like by taken song?
No muse will find you in your heart,
For its not there. From you I part...

Brian Joseph Johns

The Power Of Public Figures...

The iconic powers of a public figure are vast to say the least. They can result in great good or result in pressures that no normal human being could ever hope to cope with and have the ability to help bring attention to things that very much need the light of day.










Recent examples are like this one with a (currently) viral video making the rounds of what a superhero like Robert Downey Jr. and Albert Manero, a Collective Project student who founded Limbitless, both of whom presented Alex Pring, a seven year old boy with a prosthetic limb:

Ambassadors for the workings of projects like the Collective Project, which need public attention and support. Remember that one of the most influential persons in the world of physics is Stephen Hawking, and without the technologies that helped him to communicate with the rest of the world, none of us would have benefited from his insights into the nature of the universe and its many mysteries. Understanding what Stephen has to do just to be able to communicate is just one facet of the extra hurdles that some people go through to take part in this world like the rest of us.

The importance and the beginnings of projects like the Collective Project are imagined in the minds of people like Stan Lee, Gene Roddenberry, Mary Shelley, George Lucas, William Gibson, Arthur C. Clark, HG Wells, Jules Verne who are read (or watched as the case may be) by many different people who have gone on to start projects that make such things possible. The stories and characters become inspirations for people and can sometimes spawn the dreams that make them possible in reality.

[Author's note: When I wrote this post, I hadn't actually read this excellent article by Janice Kay of ScienceFiction.com which talks about some of the direct influence of science fiction writing that has manifested technologies in the real world.]

Over time, the nature of how we consume stories changes and as it does, the stories that drove us in the first place make their way into the next form of media. Often bringing these stories to these new media forms is a challenge and art form in itself. Radio broadcast production plays of books most certainly were in the 1930s and 1940s radio serials. Eventually they made their way to film and in each incarnation of a new form of storytelling, a new kind of artist was born to each to bring those stories to life. Live perform and acting has to be one of them because the interpretation and then personification of a character that everyone has read and has their own understanding of is a difficult task. Everyone has their own preconceptions. When an artist "gets it" exactly as everyone imagined is great. When they bring it to life though, that is when something magical happens. That is the power of the performer and actor (I am referring to box sexes when I say actor). To iconify and bring to life someone that we've known through our stories. Don't forget though that there is a person inside that performer too. Ultimately it is their heart and being that enters into the responsibilities that go along with being an icon or hero and those responsibilities are not small and as I said at the top, they are a pressure sometimes that no ordinary human being could handle. Much like the Stephen Hawking and Alex Pring are no ordinary human beings to be able to overcome their extra hurdles to become heroes of their own.

Sometimes the pressures on our icons and heroes becomes a weight that nobody could bare alone. Sometimes some bad people purposely make that weight a little too hefty and those people burst, perhaps saying something they did not mean or said in the heat of the moment, that might become news worthy. I think that the important thing to remember is that under those heroes and public figures, are people trying to cope with the enormous responsibilities that go along with that life. There are also sometimes some people who want to see them break and there are people who help that process along. When someone does, remember that is a human being who can likely handle more pressure than most people who are capable of dishing it out would ever be able to cope with and live. So next time we read about someone who broke down publicly in some way, why not think about the pressures that go along with their responsibilities in public life, and those that are just the result of those wanting to break them.

Then think about the fact that those same people have the ability to bring light and inspiration to projects conducted by brilliant people, seeking to help people who have extra hurdles that few of us have, that give voices to geniuses like Stephen Hawking or prosthetic limbs to people like Alex Pring.

So for the positive inspiring stories we saw and read today, remember for stories of the ones who stumbled and fell, that they are humans dealing with super human responsibilities sometimes and there are those that want to make them stumble or fall. Remember that they'll get up and brush themselves off. We all fall. Even the fallen have their day too though and when they do, they'll shine their light on something good that needs it.

Don't go too hard on those that get filled up a little too much and then burst. We all have our limits.

Thanks to people make those dreams into reality.

Stay Safe And Be Well
Brian Joseph Johns