Community and II John

(Originally written December 13, 2010 in the Journal)

The Book of II John is a nice short little letter that hits on a few things that I hope that this blog will emphasize. First, it hits on the rewards of following God's commands and second, it hits on the community aspect of Christianity - something I think we are sorely missing in today's Church.

John writes that Jesus Christ, the Father's son will be with us in truth and love. He connects truth and love in the person of Jesus Christ. These two are inseparable and inextricably connected. And as we have the indwelling of Jesus Christ in us as Christians then we too have truth and love.

He also writes that he is writing an old command, one that we have had since the beginning - to love one another. What is love? Walking in obedience to God's commands. God is truth and God is love. By following God's commands we are walking in truth. But what are God's commands? "Love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, love you neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40). If Jesus is the truth as John claims him to be in this short letter then his summary of the commandments to love God and to love one another is truth. We walk in truth and love when we obey God's commandments and what is our reward? Joy.

John writes also that seeing the dear lady's children walking in truth gives him great joy. Obviously as an apostle, John has walked with Jesus and spent his life dedicated to him. He receives joy through seeing others walk in truth. This leads me to point number two.

Christianity is about relationships, first to God and then to each other. What is the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart. What is the second commandment? Well, it is like the first, love your neighbor as yourself. The summary that Jesus gave points to the importance of community within Christianity. We need to love each other and establish a strong community of believers that exists aside from Sunday mornings. Love isn't a once a week type thing. Love permeates and spreads in us like yeast, causing us to rise. And then, what is the reward of loving one another? What is the reward of fostering this community that we are called to? Joy. The apostle John, one of the twelve men who walked with the living, breathing Jesus Christ was not done with joy when Jesus left. He got joy through seeing others, a new generation rising up in the name of Jesus Christ. Joy comes through community because Christ comes through community.

A mess of ideas. Maybe just a mess.

Originally written August 11, 2010

Chapter One of The Bulgogi
The Value of Self-Help

For Urtsiul

Polytheistic religion with a chief deity.
King had intimate relationship with chief deity.
Military Aristocracy
Priestly Aristocracy
The Priestly Aristocracy encroaches on king's power during weak times

Ate (Greek term) - "a strong if not actually irresistible impulse to crime" (Russell, 12). Study this.

Book Concept: Orphic

Man dies, soul wakes up in the tomb to find a book of instructions.

Question: What happened to the Buddha's son when he abandoned him?

For Upuk look to Rachel's giving birth to Benjamin and subsequent death.

David Ignatow & Baha'i

Originally written August 6, 2010

Farcical short story idea: Based on the poem, The Bagel by David Ignatow

Good Anti-War Poem. All Quiet by David Ignatow

Baha'i Faith = Nine Manifestations of God.
The Nineness
The Oneness

Ideas for Urtsiul

Originally written August 6, 2010

Speeches for Urtsiul (prototypes)

Julius Caesar, The Conquest of Gaul

Pg. 24: Ariovistus' reply
pp. 33-35 Ariovistus' reply

Hoerth - Archaeology and the Old Testament

Description of city wall (pg. 83)
Description of Religion (pg. 87)
Sinshe story (pg. 89)

On pg. 90, use this when the son of Uslmli goes to Egypt.

7 Vices of a Creative Person

Originally written August 3, 2010

7 Vices of a Creative Person
Article by D.A. Blyler
Salon.com

1) Be A Drinker
- alcohol is a tool to feed creativity and social discoure
- alcohol is a way to "lace the mind on a different plane"
- to drink is to be social
- "the occasional bender can be can be a rather helpful mystical experience"
- Sobriety diminishes, discriminates and says, NO while drunkenness expands, unites, and says yes! - Henry James

2) Begin with a smoke
- Fletcher Knebel: smoking is the leading cause of statistics
- Smoking has a relaxing influence and allows the mind to empty itself, enabling new thoughts to enter

3) Gamble
- "Gambling is at the heart of every worthwhile accomplishment in life"
- It is not until the end of life that we know whether we've won or lost.

4) Oysters
"The oyster is more beautiful than any religion. Nothing in Buddhism or Christianity matches its sympathetic unselfishness. - Saki.
- We don't eat for the good of living but for the enjoyment of it.

5) Fashion first then seek to be understood.

- Comfort for comfort's sake numbs the mind
- We eat to please ourselves but dress to please others - Ben Franklin

6) Sex

Omar Sharif: Sex is a communion with a woman. The bed is our holy table. There I find passion and purification.

Purification is extremely important because it is needed to begin anew.

7) Abuse the Card

Hunter S. Thompson: Abuse your credit for all it's worth.

A Reading Plan

(Originally Written July 27, 2010 in The Journal)

Read a bit from each of these every day and take notes.

6 Categories

1. Christian - Early Christian Writings
2. Philosophy - The History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell
3. Classics - The Conquest of Gaul - Julius Caesar
4. History - Archeology & The Old Testament - Alfred J. Hoerth
5. Religion - Pocket Guide to World Religions - Winfried Corduan
6. Literature - Contemporary American Poetry

Notes on Early Christian Writings

Clement of Rome

-Strong Trinitarian Language
-Peace flows from obedience to God. Peace brings with it the healing of all human conditions

Notes on The History of Western Philosophy - Bertrand Russell

Philosophy is the product of two things:
1. Inherited religious and ethical conceptions
2. Scientific investigation

Philosophy lies somewhere between theology and science.

Joseph's First Spanish Joke

Originally written July 24, 2010

Joseph's first successful joke in Spanish: You hablo similar a niño porque yo tengo tres años pero entiendo similar a niño que tiene quatro años. The grizzly looking van driver choked out a laugh while two young attractive Dominicans giggled at one another and spoke to one another with a rapidity that was difficult to fathom, let alone understand. A six year old girl asked her mother why a grown man spoke like her baby brother. That got a bigger laugh than Joseph.

The Saint and His Dog

Originally written July 24, 2010

It would be a funny story to have a group of friends get into a cab while stoned. The guy in the front should be the worst. The dashboard bobbing dog would attack him after he has a telepathic conversation with a saint airfreshner. He retells the story, "and then that cute, little dog of the saint's jumped off the dash and bit my nose. Naturally I screamed. The cabbie jumped out of his skin, got all pissed and kicked us out.

The Saint's Dog

Brown and White
Maybe a bulldog
But looks friendlier with pinkish, rosy cheeks.
Large black pupills with a greyish eye color. Never takes its eyes off me. Makes me nervous.
Gold chain collar, like some cheap Gucci knock off.

I can stare into its stomach because the head isn't attached.

It's long neck sways his head from side to side (eyes still looking at me). Bump. Head nods with the bump.

It's silence makes me nervous. It knows I'm looking at its gutless innards. It doesn't like it.

The Saint suggests I pet it to make it more comfortable. I do it. The Cabbie yells. Saint and dog go silent. I stare intently at the dog's stomach. It bends its head down to block my view. Eyes ever on me. Saint warns me against it. Saint is protected. He's got a sword. I've got nada. Dog growls. I look at the Saint. He is silent. I look at the Cabbie. Cabbie looks at me. "What the hell is your problem". Pause. "I'll kill you if you puke in here. Is he gonna puke cause if he pukes it's all your asses. I swear to God..." Dog jumps off and bites me. I scream. Laughter and confusion in the backseat. Cabbie is swearing and slamming on his breaks. Boys piling out of back seat. Can't get the seat belt undone. Cabbie yelling. Doors open. Seat belt off. I push the dog. Cabbie screams more. Getting pulled out of the car door. Cabbie is swearing at and slapping at me. Dog's growling. Saint yelling to be rescued. I look the Cabbie dead in the eye. Then I look at the dog. The Cabbie protects the hound of hell. I reach in as fast as I can and rescue Saint and his perch. Cabbie swears more. Laughter. Running away. Saint smiles at me Thanks me.

Note from 9/18/19: I'm not sure if this was originally supposed to be a Joseph Flanagan story or not.

Some Edits of Habitaciones

(Originally written July 24, 2010)

Habitaciones con Banos

Edits from Book 1

Ch. 1
Pg. 1 - Typewriter type? Fix sentence
Pg. 1. - Overuse of the word, "intentional"
Pg. 2 - Name the nook, something in Latin?
Pg. 3 "and at times, the shallows of his soul"
Pg. 4. Give details of the C-Section

- write a story for the foul mouthed Italian nurse

Pg. 8 The unquenchable emotions were quenched.
Pg. 9 He had reshaped his essence wrong
Pg. 10 Take a sip of scotch, cough, plan B

Ch. 2
Pg. 11 He knows because he had looked
Pg. 12 Shoes bought in the DR actually made in China
Pg. 14 Angela would disagree
Pg. 14 It looked strikingly similar to?

Pg. 14 On various and unrelated topics.

He thought of geopolitical drawstrings, the Wendy's Commercial with the old lady inquiring as to where she could find some meat. Then he wondered when the new Batman movie would be released until he thought of the construction of the perfect Reuben sandwich. He began envisioning Kofi Annan sitting down to a Reuben sandwich with Tony Blair to discuss the recent explosion of comic themed movies. The two became irritated with a woman making the corned beef on their sandwiches. Apparently she did not think it was the right ratio of sauerkraut to meat.

Pg. 21 To use those exclusively.
Pg. 21 Occasionally he would write backwards in them like Leonardo Da Vinci; but, this would invariably lead to frustration at his poor penmanship and a chastisement of his ego at being so vain.

Notes for Urtsiul

Originally written July 21, 2010

Notes for Urtsiul & Kadesh (Qadesh)

1274 BC

Egypt (20,000)
Hittites (40,000)

Syria - crossroads of the Ancient World

Timber, Gold, spices (east)
Copper, Tin (west)

Hittites - Anatolia High lands
Egypt - isolationist

Ramses II 1279 BC

- Builder
- Self-Important

Spear and knife developed from hunting weapons
Metal led to standing armies
Bronze made from copper and tin.
Tin is mined
Tin is rare
Bronze is Cast

The Introduction of Mark Switzer

Originally written July 20, 2010

3. Introduction of Mark Switzer

Mark Thomas Switzer had become the epitome of the apologetic male in the 21st century America. His tail hung beneath his legs and the fiersome wildness that had once defined him was but a shameful memory now. in short, Mark had become domesticated. For awhile it seemed as if Felicia had merely caged the bear, but after a few months he was riding a little tricycle and juggling with a cute pointed hat on his neatly trimmed head. Her success in taming Mark was so profound and so complete that it seemed natural and Mark had not only stopped fighting it, but had embraced it. To the casual observer it seemed Mark's natural disposition, but to Joseph it produced and uneasy feeling like seeing a person whose sex cannot be ascertained - that feeling one has when they debate internally over whether or not they should be attracted to it. However terrible the long lasting effects of turning men into apologizing dandies may be indeterminable at the moment in America. The next fifty years will tell us if the novo homo is a good thing, but in Mark's case the domestication was not only a good thing, it was essential for his very survival.

Mark met Joseph on the first day of college. The two were both literary criticism majors at the school Joseph's dad taught at. The two could not have been more dissimilar. While Joseph fretted over the innumerable variables that could effect the outcome of any and all situations, Mark acted on impulses only. Surprisingly the two became best friends in an incredibly short time, which proved invaluable to both. They acted as a counter balance to one another - a virtual ying to yang relationship. This wonderful checks and balances situation, when it worked, saved both of them on more than one occassion. Unfortunately, the two were equally stubborn so occassionally this system broke down and disaster ensued.

After becoming fast friends Mark convinced Joseph to tag along to an upper class mixer. Like most of their ventures the resultes were rather mixed. Both Mark and Joseph achieved the loss every boy prays for that night, but the night also ended with both, individually needing to sneak across campus without garments to get back to the freshman dorm. The two discussed their exploits and demise - the next day and swore a solemn oath to never bring up the event again. This incident remains one of the very few sacrosanct parts of their lives pardoned from the intense ridicule and humiliation that they regularly visited upon one another.

For all of college and the sum of their brief adult lives the two were best friends. Yet despite this Joseph knew very little of Mark's past. It wasn't that Mark hid anything from his friend just that his outlook was so immediate it excluded not only the thought of future consequences, but his entire life's past. Joseph knew that Mark was from Periora, Illinois. He knew that Mark had a number of siblings. He had met at least two when he visited Mark over one summer and had seen an old family picture of Mark's mom and twelve kids. Mark's dad lived in Georgia, but that was about the total of all Mark had ever said of his family. To Joseph it seemed as if Mark's existence had begun in late August of 2001 when they started college. Mark seemed content with this as well.

One morning during the second semester of their freshman year Mark had woken much earlier than normal. It was still dark out and Mark decided that he would venture for breakfast for the first time all year. Walking to the dining commons he enjoyed the cool April breeze and contemplated the momentary joy he found in solitude. But as the cool April breeze progressed into a bitter last stand for the misery of winter Mark lost all the newfound joy in solitary contemplation and began to hurry to breakfast.

Arriving at 6:02 he was one of the first students to eat that morning. He wasked down the stairs to the buffet style cafetira lines and looked over the morning choices. A sigh of despair escaped his now re-tired mouth and he was ready to forgo this early morning experience when he discovered the waffle machine.

It wasn't exactly the waffle machine that so enticed him, although a craving for this breakfast treat soon arrived in his stomach. it was the waffle machine attendant that so caught his fancy that for a moment he stood transfixed, gazing longingly at the waffle girl.

In his mind he began to swagger over towards the vacant spot in front of her station. As he sauntered in a studly gait the woman began to smile. When he arrived he spoke magnificent words in a rich tone of voice that no 19 year-old boy possesses. The verbage and quality of voice was so powerful, so majestic that the buttons of the waffles girl's blouse undid themselves.

Two perfectly shaped breasts unfolded from the waffle girl's shirt and set with erect nipples pointed directly at Mark. Noticing her exposed self she simled coyly and took the whip cream bottle and covered her dime sized nipples. Without a word she motioned for Mark to partake of the morning delicacy that the frecnh call creme de tit. Mark willingly oblighed the young waffle girl.

But while this fantasy was playing out in Mark's consciousness his subconscious had been been directing his feet towards the waffle girl. For a moment the physically present Mark was noticably absent to the waffle girl. She waited patiently as Mark's focus shifted from fantasy to real world.

After a strange exchange Mark walked away with an undercooked waffle topped with strawberryesque red sticky liquid and seven number scrawled on his hand. The waffle girl would soon become the tenth conquest of Mark's freshman year.

In dealing with women the two friends differed in style and success rate. Mark took a very forward approach to women whereas Joseph constantly looked for a backdoor. However, who was more successful in their early college years is still debated.

Mark had completed his tenth bedquest by the end of his third date with the waffle girl. Within the week of this date Joseph and his girlfriend (Dusty) were breaking up. Joseph and Dusty had begun dating in December and although Joseph enjoyed the idea of dating had lost complete interest in Dusty by March. However, like most men he had found it difficult to end a relationship that provided the regular installment of the ultiment benefit (of course, meaning the emotional attachment). But as summer was approaching Joseph found himself unceremoniously dumped after an expensive date.

But as previously stated the two disagreed to who was more successful. (Argument of quantity vs. quality).

Structure of one of the Joseph Flanagan stories

Originally written July 19, 2010

E3 DR-Characters

Brendan - Canadian Treeplanter (Horny Maniac)
Jack - Canadian Treeplanter (Pretentious Philospher)
Derek - Womanizing Alcoholic from Florida

JF

Maxine - 18 year old girl from Tennessee acts 40
Isabella - Peruvian sexpot who plays Brendan against Derek
Theresa - feminist who iddolizes Peter Singer

Plotline so far
1) Awkward double date
2) Brief intro of J.F. Don't contradict or repat Habitaciones Con Banos. Simply condense it.
3) Mark Switzer: DC Bookstore manager. Met JF in college. Both lit majors. Freelance writer for the Onion and a retired homoerotica ezine (under a raunchy surname). Shameless individual.
-Birth
-Manipulation of 3rd grade teacher
-College story or two
-Calmed down in relationship with Felicia
4) Felica Tolley
-Grad student at George Mason University. Studying?
-Birth
-First kiss 17th birthday
-First drunk night on that first kiss night (awful), vows never to drink again
-Keeps vows for four years but breaks it on Jr. Springbreak
-Meets Josh the Pisser story (need to tie Mark into this story as an unlikely Hero)
5) Nicole
-No need to tell of birth of pre-pubescent existence. her story can only be understood following her sexlife. Boys 1-8. J.F. #9. Boys 10-13 (while with) J.F.
6) The Break up
7) NL 2
- The Jara, The Michelle, The Ashley, The Dusty, The Amber
8) The misery of post-breakup
9 The moment of truth: self-help vs. DR
10) First impressions of the DR
11) Training in Santo Domingo
12) Placement in Bayacannes (brief mention of the Habitaciones con Banos
13) The Boys
14) The Girls
15) NL3
16) The idea
17) The Bulgogi
18) Book tour invite/demand
19) Book tour stuff...
20) Meet Danny Gladden on book tour because Danny Gladden is promoting an autobiography
21) NL4
22) Late Night Wal-Mart
23) Insomnia
24) Late night at Walmart
25) End of the book tour
26) New apartment
27) Comedy Central Call

Storyline/Plotline of Habitaciones & Bulgogi

Originally written July 17, 2010

Characters in Bulgolgi (in DC)

Joseph Flanagan:
24 year old male
failing marriage
makes prosthetic limbs and works at a restaurant

Mark Switzer
24 year old male
strange but happy realtionship
Manages a bookstore

Felicia Tolley
22 year old female
college student
girlfriend of mark

Nicole Kelsey Flanagan
22 year old female
crazy
married to, then divorced to Joseph Flanagan

The story opens with the interplay of these four characters

Joseph is introduced in Habitaciones

Nicole should be introduced by her guy timeline. She calls each of these points her "chapters" and is excited to have Joseph as the "final chapter"

Mark is a college buddy of Joseph Flanagan. He should embody the collective U (including HS C. Linehan)

Felicia Tolley

Josh ? The Pisser

Meets Felicia on spring break. Felicia is drunk and messes around with the guy. They have a relationship for 7 months. Josh comes to visit and gets drunk tailgaiting. Felicia goes to take a nap afer the game. Josh gets in bed with her. Keeps lifting back the covers to check out Felicia's cute underwear. Felicia, "dude seriously, I'm trying to take a nap so uh, hands off the merchandise" in a good southern drawl. Josh doesn't take the hint. Felicia goes to shower (locks herself in the baño). Josh passes out and pisses the bed. Felicia wakes him up to go to dinner. She touches his chest, which is soaked. He showers. She discovers he's pissed the bed, put a towell on the wet spot and put a fan pointed directly on the bed. At dinner Josh gets real drunk again. Passes out in the living room. Told to leave the nextday. Josh, "I'm sorry. I just don't understand. Did I do something wrong?" Felicia: "If you don't know honestly I don't know what to tell you. Next day it's discovered that Josh pissed the comforter he slept on in the living room. Three months later the towells he used to clean up the second piss are discovered behind the bookcase when Felicia moves out.

Story Line (linear)

A. - Introduction of 4 DC Characters. Some incredibly awkward double dates between Josh Flanagan & Nicole Kelsey Flanagan and Mark Switzer and Felicia Tolley

NL1 Introductions: Joseph Flanagan, Mark Switzer, Felicia, Nicole

B. The Break up

NL 2 Break up stories 5 or 6 rapid fire

C. The misery

D. The Self-Help vs. The DR

E. Arriving in the DR

E3. DR Characters

NL3 imaginary existence of 4 main DC characters 20 years from now (dramitically bleak) - funny though

E2

E3

F. Leaves the DR

G.

NL 4 Summary of Baseball experiences. 3 parts: playing, watching, collecting (movement of purity to corruption) Mention his unpublished satirical Essay, "Clean Race" or whatever I called it

NL 5 Latenight at Walmart

H.

Z. Gets a call from Comedy Central to do a made for tv movie.

A-D in DC
E-F Stories from the DR
E2-E3 The Bulgolgi
G-H Book tour

Plotline

JF & Nicole break up
JF slips into misery
-pivot point looking at offer to do peace core in DR or read the self help books
JF in DR
The Bulgolgi
JF returns to States
Book Tour
Comedy Central Calls

A conversation between Joseph and Mark

Originally written 7/17/2010

Mark: Do you see that fuckstick over there? Seriously the dude's got to be 40 and he's drinking a juice box and reading a Where's Waldo book.

Joseph: What is a fuckstick exactly?

Mark: Are you really ciriticizing my vulgarities now? Stop avoiding the topic and focus for a minute. Do you not see the problem the new America is facing these days? Here we are, twenty four year old men, and I say men in the loosest of fashions, sitting in your run of the mill, hipster, Neo-Bohemian coffee shop sipping on lattes and eating donuts discussing the prospect of the new Madden Game. What do we have to look up to? What is there to aspire to? I don't want to be 40, sitting in this same damn coffee shop dirking a juice box reading a Where's Waldo book.

Joseph: What is a prospecti?

Mark: Son of a bitch! Prospecti, the plural of prospectus. Fuckstick, a douche bag male who is doing something utterly inane, pointless and thus - soul killing. Will you pleas drop the philological rebuttals so we can face this looming disaster. Fifty years ago every twenty-four year old was out saving the world from ruthless dictators. We're sitting in a coffee shop. What does that say about us?

Joseph: Did you get soy in your latte? Your girlfriend made me promise that you would get soy or skim.

Mark: I got whole milk like a true, red-blooded human being of the male persuasion. I would have squeezed it out of a cow if I could and bypassed the unwarranted sanitization process altogher. Answer the question.

Joseph: Fine, I thin that we are not saving the world from imperialism because it no longer poses an existential crisis to America.

Mark: Exactly. The existinetial crisis we face is from within. Just from your conotation we can see the problem with every generation since our grandparents'. They fought for freedom from opression and then their hippy scumbag kids got high and reanalyzed and reinterpreted history to show us, their kids, that America fought against imperialism. They told us that imperialism was bad, not just the evil dictators. Imperialism is what made us great and now we have to feel guilty about it and apologize to everyone not born into America. I mean, realistically I'm not saying we need to invade Canada to extend our territory, but we shouldn't have to apologize to the world for being succseful.

Fuckstick: Ha!

Mark: Fuckstick found Waldo. All I'm saying is that the proble is this: High School is the new middle school, college the new high school, grad school the new college. The twenties are the new teens and we can aspire to be 40 with a ridiculous frat tattoo sipping on a juice box looking at the newest Where's Waldo book.

Joseph: My point exactly! This is my greatest fear

(pause)

Mark: You think the game store is open yet?

Joseph: Yeah, it opened twenty minutes ago. I tried to tell you but you went on a sociological rant and criticized my philological angle to the discussion.

Mark: Well, let's get the hell out of here so we can grab the Madden game. Oh, and if Julie asked if it was a decaf, half soy, half skim. It's my new favorite.

Joseph: New favorite drink or lie?

Mark: Is there really a difference?

The Joseph Flanagan Saga

From "Observations of Joseph Flanagan (and More)"

Originally written July 17, 2010

7 Books of Joseph Flanagan
- Philosophy Major
- Author
- Divorceé
- 7 because 7 is the number of completion.
- Books because I don't have a movie camera (or actors)

The Joseph Flanagan Saga

1. Habitaciones con Baños: Joseph reclaims life, divorce and Bulgolgi
2. In search of the World's Greatest Beef Bulgogi: The coping with the divorce
3. The Death of Joseph Flanagan: Seven alternative stories to one outcome
4. A Second Bite at the Apple: Topical Autobiography
5. From the Dominican: Joseph on his peace core mission: gua gua, concho and A-Car
6. Disasters of the All-American boy (childhood stories age 0 - 13)
7. The Arbitrary Last Book of Joseph Flanagan (loose ends of all characters from the other 6 books)

What?

(Originally Written March 30, 2010 in the Journal)

In the beginning when the world was young there were a great many thoughts but no such thing as truth. Man made the truths himself and each truth was a composite of a great many thoughts. All about in the world were truths and they were beautiful. But, when man claimed these truths as their own, the beautiful truths turned the men into grotesques.

Writing Overview

(Originally Written March 29, 2010 in the Journal)

My long neglected Ashley! We had such high hopes for the two of us and yet I have ignored you so thoroughly. Accept my apology and I will now inform you of what is going through my literary head and fill your pages with my newest ideas.

1) The House of Urtsiul

The house of Urtsiul is the story of Urtsiul and the two branches of his family. Urtsiul is an exile from a southern Mesopotamian city-state who in his banishment ends up in ancient Palestine under the service of the king of Shacmu. He serves with distinction and has two sons: Uslmi and Ugui. After some time he dies and leaves one city each of his sons.

Uslmli is a righteous man, but Ugui is not. When a new king is crowned in Shacmu Ugui insults him and is banished only to return with an army. Uslmli meanwhile has four sons: Upuk, Ezinn, XA and XB (sorry I don't remember the names of the last two off the top of my head.

Uslmli winds up defeating Ugui in battle but takes his own life when he believes Ugui has murdered his four sons. In reality, Ugui has just kidnapped them and escaped to Hattusas, the Hittite capital.

In Hattusas Ugui becomes powerful and extends the Hittite King Mursili's territory. When the king of Shacmu comes to claim Ugui for crimes Ugui defeats them and Shacmu falls to Mursili. Mursili needs to place Jebus in charge of Shacmu and his descendants become the Jebusites.
The story then follows the accounts of the four children of Uslmli, youngest to oldest.

The first story is the youngest son who captures coastal cities and builds an empire. He falls in love with a captured princess named Phoenixa and names his kingdom after her (The Phoenicians). But, Phoenixa betrays him because of his cruel treatment of her family.

The second story follows the son who is tossed at sea and winds up shipwrecked on Crete. There he is proclaimed a god because of size and bronze skin color. He has sex with the wife of Vulcan who in his rage kindles his fire too hot while making weapons and destroys the cities of Crete (Need more Minas inferences to secure connection with Minoan civilization).

The Third son works as a mercenary and fights at Megiddo but switches to the Egyptian side. After securing victory he goes to Egypt and becomes very religious. He becomes convinced if he doesn't put cremated bodies in ashes then the ghosts of all he has killed will haunt him and his family forever. He is run out of Egypt as a madman but his prophecies take hold throughout Europe where he founds a kingdom.

Upuk, the oldest, travels north into the Ural mountains and founds a nation of no people. he builds two imperial cities and a number of settlements but is lonely when the work is done. He comes across Nok, a river nymph and immortal. He takes her as a wife and they have children.

Upuk begins to fear he will not have wives for his sons. Nok sends word out and immediately an illegitimate son of Upuk comes up with a following. Nok warns her husband not to marry their children to this man's entourage but he does anyway. Nok leaves and Upuk dies of a broken heart. His son takes the throne but is killed by an usurper.

(Up to this point is written in rough drafts)

2) The Book of Dates

The book of dates is a collection of short stories based on particular dates of importance in my life. Some are long; some are very short.

3) Habitaciones con Banos

The story of Joseph Flannigan and his writer's block. Joseph Flannigan travels to the DR for some inspiration for his sophomore novel. His first was successful satire. The book encompasses his misadventures and a collection of short stories he writes that become his book.

4) The Divorce and The Bulgogi

Prequel to Habitaciones

5) The Shattered Peace of Jefferson

This my Ashley will be the story we tell. This will be the pseudohistory of a little town in Indiana
 up until a murder rocks the small town as told through the eyes of a neighbor who didn't know the people as well as they thought.

Notes on Theogony

(Originally written March 3, 2010 in the Journal)

Theogony
Hesiod

Mnemosyne - memory
Aphrodite - came from froth and she presides over the whispers, smiles and tricks which girls employ
Ceto - monster
Eros - desire
Epimetheus - brings bad luck on men

"This was the origin of the damnable race of women - a plague men must live with"
"So Zeus the thunder god made women mischievous in their ways and a curse for men"

Metis - wisdom
Themis - law

The purpose of the fates (Clotho, Lachesis and Atropus) is to dispense good and evil to mankind.

Clotho - spinner
Lachesis - allotter
Atropus - inflexible
Euphrosyne - happiness
Thalia - festivity
Ares - the sacker of cities, father of panic and fear
Memnon - the king of the Ethiopians, known by his bronze crest

I read the Theogony in about an hour. It was good and I'll use some of it for The House of Urtsiul.

Notes on The Metamorphoses

(Originally Written March 1, 2010 in the Journal)

Notes on Ovid's Metamorphoses

I'm already in Book VI!

"She was as beautiful as an angry woman can be" Very funny, use this in Habitaciones after the double date from Hell.

Love made him eloquent

The sky was dark and heavy, its weight pressing down on the earth, man both noble and common alike. It trapped the heat in and southerly winds blew cruel and ill-fortuned winds on them. For two moons the heat oppressed the land of Upuk and withered crops to dust. The sturdy beasts melted away and sheep shore their own wool, their dying bleats echoed through the hills. The four rivers dried and the center pool threatened an emptiness until the worship of the sun creased. The might king cast out the priests of the sun and restored the land to its former gods. (A plague scene and banishment of the sun cult).

"For I am burning with love, and its flame scorches me more fiercely when I am spurned"

Not struggles, but sheer laziness came to be what delayed my finishing of the Metamorphoses.

I really enjoyed this book until book fifteen that became pure propaganda for Augustus. It is amazing that art can become kitschy so quickly. But, book XV aside, it was great. The last line again, like from The Amores shows Ovid's ego - which I love.

"If there be any truth in poets' prophecies I shall live to all eternity, immortalized by fame"