Sunday, August 15, 2010

OAKLANE WOODS by Louis Evan Palmer


Louis Evan Palmer talks about his new novel: 'Oaklane Woods' is a novel of ideas, love and spirits that emerged from a powerful image of a young girl, alone, sitting on an immense dark rock deep in a mysterious urban park. In appearance, she was not unlike the Little Mermaid of Copenhagen harbour but transported to a North American setting - the fictional Ontario city of Middleton. Another vital difference, and this impelled me to write the story, my imagined little girl was a spirit – specifically, the sad, confused and angry spirit of an abortion.”
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Comments from reviewers of (first three chapters of) “Oaklane Woods”
Five brilliant stars. Truly excellent storytelling. I take my Tam o' Shanter off to you. Bravo!”
I love your premise SO much. Kudos for taking on such a controversial subject. Your writing drew me in right from the start. You paint fantastic images with words..”
..Your story really does intrigue me. This is very well written, it flows along and has a poetic feel to it. Your descriptions are particularly good I feel, they made me feel as if I was there..”
You have a wonderful gift in playing with words and drawing the use of the English language in the most lyrical way – your command in vocabulary is obvious and your attention to detail is stupendous..”
An eloquent, thought provoking story with fascinating characters. Wonderful imagery. Sparkling dialogue. Intense, evocative narrative.”
Your story struck me like a bolt of lightning. Brilliant, and lost for the right words to do justice to your masterpiece..”
This is excellent writing, lyrical, descriptive and the sort I like to read best. You've taken a subject which normally separates people along political lines and made it human again. It's what the best writing does.”
This is beautifully written with lovely passive, almost poetic, prose..”
What a lovely story! This is gorgeous writing and a great idea. Very bittersweet..”
You have a beautiful, easy going way about your writing. Your descriptions are vivid and capture the mind of the reader. Very nice story.”
Very strange... it's like reading poetry and watching an Almodovar movie. It definitely has a strong European flavour to it even though it doesn't set foot there. Maybe it's the languid dreamlike pace..”
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Click link below to buy the Amazon Kindle book “Oaklane Woods” by Louis Evan Palmer.
http://www.amazon.com/Oaklane-Woods-ebook/dp/B003VIWP06/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC&s=digital-text&qid=1280062803&sr=8-1


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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Skyscraper Farms by Louis Evan Palmer


The wave of the future is almost certainly going to be vertical farms. To make them work, we'll need soil for non-hydroponic crops, water, sunlight, and energy. It's not too far-fetched to envision skyscraper farms each producing enough food for tens of thousands of people. Some proposals are for every multi-story building to grow at least enough food for their own inhabitants. With in-building food production can proceed on a year-round basis, we should see significant increases in the availability, range and supply of food.


The only caveat in the overal scheme of food production is the sourcing of meat. There are new intensive herding techniques which will increase meat production. The use of marginal lands for pastures and ranching can help. There is even talk of producing a meat-like food in a factory setting in the form of growing proteins and the like and research is underway now in that area.

The websites “weburbanist” and “vertical farms” have information on this exciting area.



Depending on world-wide demand, the price for food and farmland should drop. With food security, human populations should level off. Confrontations to do with food scarcity should diminish. It only seems to have an upside.

Skyscraper Farsm, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

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How to Tell if He'll Stay by Louis Evan Palmer

Here's another article providing an insider's (man's) view of how to tell if he'll stay.


The key observation is that while you (the woman) may figure a lot in the initial stage as in “he's into you”, you don't play that big a role in whether he'll stay. That depends on him – on his character, his upbringing and world view. Incessantly chattering and whining doesn't help things but it's not the real reason for him leaving.

A man who sticks with you is a man who sticks to most things. He demonstrates loyalty to people and things who merit them and he will stay loyal to them through the tough stretches which is how a relationship lasts.

Men who appreciate “old” things will stick with you. Old buildings, old furniture, old cars and trucks and old lovers (you).

You want a Man who will appreciate the things that are done for him and his, and the things that are given to him especially priceless things like children and support and love and admiration. If you give him that, a thankful man will never leave.

A man who loves beauty is more likely to stay. You may think he's more likely to stray but beauty is magnified through knowledge and sharing, so the more he knows you, the more beautiful you become.

A man who has a sense of humour is more likely to stay because you've got to laugh somehow (some black humour is okay) at some things or you won't get through them.

A man who is persistent is more likely to stay because long relationships require persistence. He should like mysteries and puzzles and seeing how it turns out.

A man with a strong philosophy, spirituality or religion will stay with you because you're not everything to him and he has a positive context into which you and he fit.

A man who is an achiever will stay with you because he views a successful marriage or relationship as an achievement.

Finally, you want to find a man who genuinely likes women even though he may complain about them or make jokes at their expense.

Good luck!

How to Tell if He'll Stay, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.


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Taking Only What is Given by Louis Evan Palmer

There is an approach to life where one seeks to stay only on a path outlined by Nature (or God); where one eats the food that offers itself, where one lives in abodes and ways that are most natural; where things we do, including our societies, are modeled on what we see around us and our purest feelings.

There is always a question as to how much of our abilities we should use to get what (we think) we need. The appropriate extent of our co-creation.

However, what if it is as simple as what we are given is what we need. And, further, that when we strive and acquire beyond that, it not only is not needed but is not good for us; or nature and the world, as it's not healthy or sustainable.

What does it mean to take only what is given?

It would certainly mean that force is not to be used - especially against living things. If we need wood, we would take fallen branches and trees, partially burnt trees, submerged wood, wood knocked down by natural forces or pests. Stone and sand we could take as long as it didn't damage the environment or destroy animals' homes.

We would take our food as it is given to us - on a branch, on a bush or a vine, in the ground. We would eat meat that comes by way of natural death or kills by other animals and so, it would be infrequent and usually smaller portions.

Taking only what is "given" means not taking any life. The animals never voluntarily give us their lives. The trees don't agree on being cut down. They do, however, die. Animals can, in a sense, "give" us their eggs and milk in exchange for their care and protection. Or, in the same way, bees can "give" us their honey.

The "taking" should also match the "giving" in its characteristics - it would be universal as in the rain falls on all, the resulting water is for all; it would be as natural as possible - the food grows without tending, the harvest takes only what can be used and that does not negatively impact the food source and its environment. We should be grateful for what we have rather than anxious about what we think we're missing.

Taking what is given also means knowing the full extent of our gifts and abilities and our place in the universe - the knowledge of which has the greatest impact on what we do.


Taking Only What Is Given, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2010 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.


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