The Charity Gala at the Evolution Expo

Welcome special readers. Thanks for being here.

Philip the Bard will return Tuesday with tales from the backstory of the Max Gavaskar Series. Tomorrow I will be traveling and recovering from one of the most fun weekends I’ve had in my life (honest!).

Last night was the Gala Charity Ball. There was little old me rubbing shoulders with astronauts, famous actors and a host of  other people, beautiful in their own right.

The setting was the top of the Marriott with views all around of the city, the bay, the Berkley Hills. I was born here and I have moved on but I am still a California Boy at heart. The San Francisco skyline at sunset has to be one of the most beautiful views in the world.

There was a lovely jazz trio playing soft, sweet sounds. There was an auction of memorabilia, the auctioneer a San Francisco policeman, did a wonderful job, funny and smart. Thousands of dollars were raised for charity.

To cap the evening I went to the Space Age Karaoke event in the Grand Ballroom. Where I learned that some of my fellow attendees are quite talented. Garrett Wang MC’d and did a wonderful job.

In talking with the promoters of the event, they are doing it again next year. Y’all come! I’m telling you, COME TO THIS EVENT NEXT YEAR.

I haven’t been to a lot of sci fi cons but I have attended several similar conferences about writing and herbs. This one was a step above.

I’ve had the opportunity to not just meet famous people who are also bright and entertaining but I got to get to know them a little. I spent time with astronauts and shared drinks with actors we all know. I rode the elevator with an actor talking food choices. I shared stories about our fathers with another actor. I swapped aviation stories with a real astronaut. 

How often do you get to do things like that?

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Notes from the Evolution Expo

Welcome intrepid readers. Thanks for being here. 

Last night I went to the Cocktail Party here at the Evolution Expo. I spent the evening rubbing elbows with the stars and other beautiful people.

It was a small gathering, perhaps thirty people. Several of the celebrities were there, Kevin Sorbo, Jason Momoa, John Rhys-Davies, Garrett Wang, Ty Olsson and Veronica Cartwright as well as several of the directors of the Expo.

First I am very impressed with the folks putting this  event on. The woman at the top already knew my name when I came in. She teased me a little because I wore my name badge to the party. “We know who you are!” she said. I met her son who is also working for the event, classy young man, very bright.

I spent quite a bit of time on the couch with Ms. Cartwright. I know her mostly from the movie Alien but she had worked on a lot of sci fi programs. I keep using this word but I think it applies, but she was a very sweet person. Very charming, very open.

I rode the elevator yesterday with Kevin Sorbo. He introduced himself to me. 

“Hi, I’m Rick.” I said.

He said, “Hi, I’m Kevin.”

Then we talked about what eateries were available around the convention center.

I also spent time talking with people who no one has ever heard of outside their circle of family and friends but nonetheless were interesting and beautiful people.

I can hardly wait to see what today brings.

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Who is tearing holes in the Gavaskar Field

. . .

 and why does it matter to me?

The Gavaskar trilogy encompasses the extraordinary life of Melanie Gavaskar as she transforms through time and experience from a young physics student to

 "The Mother of the Galaxy". 

She begins as a naive, but brilliant young woman who is forced to flee her planet when she discovers a dark government secret. As a fugitive hiding from the government, she must learn to adapt to each new situation and gather friends whom she can trust. Political intrigue and adventure, heros and villains, make this journey a thrilling fantasy to immerse oneself in, with an ending that is both dramatic and uplifting.

The Gavaskar Trilogy

The Gavaskar Field

Kusha

The Mother of the Galaxy

Avliable on Amazon as ebook or paperback.

Read it today!

Day One of the Evolution Expo

Welcome bold readers. Thanks for being here.

Observations and notes from Day One of the Evolution Expo

Met John Rhys-Davies. What a sweet man. Very personable and he is missing a part of his finger just like me. We shared a moment and touched fingers. I hope to get to talk to him more.

I went to a talk by Garret Wang. You may remember him as Ensign  Kim from Star Trek voyager. Again a very funny and personable guy. He tweeked his back quite badly yesterday and still he comes to talk with us. A trooper for sure. 

He didn’t talk much sci fi but he did mention that he only figured out at the end of the show that the writers did not know that “Kim” is a Korean name NOT a Chinese name. All through the show they often had him say “Ancient Chinese Philosopher says . . .” (face palm)

And . . . I went to a very interesting talk by Pascal Lee who is working on the Mars project. He’s not very impressed with Mars One but calculates we’ll go to Mars sometime around 2035.

I still have the Coctail Party to attend and I hope for some interesting conversation there. I’ve alread met many of the vendors and some of them are quite nice, one jewlery booth especially.

Finally I have a couple of pictures from the conference and they are posted on my Facebook page.

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Early reviews for Kusha

Kusha is an entertaining, fun, and fast-paced science-fiction story based on an interesting premise.

The novel has a cohesive and well-thought-out plot, and the structure serves the story well.

Readers will appreciate the care you have taken to maintain a consistent and satisfying pace. 

The characters are described and developed consistently throughout the book and each character has a purpose in the overall plot.

Notes from the Evolution Expo

Welcome fine readers. Thanks for being here.

Well I made it! I am at Evolution Expo. After a day of airplane delays and some frustration I was able to secure a limo ride from the airport hotel I stayed in last night to the conference in the Oakland city center. The driver was a very nice man from Ethiopia. 

The hotel had a room ready for me right away and I settled in and cruised the vendor market. Not as many booths as I expected but some very nice things. The Chabot College Science Department has some nice displays that I am looking forward to.

As events happen I blog my impressions. First up is some science lectures this afternoon. And look to my facebook page for pictures as I get them.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.
Earth Year 2014

Notes from the Author: Travel Day

Welcome fine readers. Thanks for being here.

Today is a travel day for me. I am headed to the Evolution Expo in Oakland California.

Starting tomorrow look for posts here about the event and on my facebook page for photos of me and famous sci fi people and other goings on at the Expo.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.
Earth Year 2014

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Max Gavaskar and the Evolution Expo

Welcome famous readers. Thanks for being here.

This week we’re retelling the story of Max Gavaskar. She first popped into the public consciousness when she was noticed buy the SID. I say noticed but chased into hiding is more like it.

One has to wonder if she had not gone on the run, if she’d stayed on Harappa, would she have still had the great “insight”? How would “first contact” have gone? Would the Tarsans and Mary Carmini gone on proselytizing across the Galaxy? And . . . what kind of havoc would that have caused? To give space flight to primitive species would certainly be disastrous for Galactic Civilization.

As luck would have it Max Gavaskar did have her “insight” and she was there for the first contact and she was there for the Tarsan Revolt and she was there to calm the budding Galactic War.

Some how, she managed to keep her private life just that, private. I have come to know her some through my friendship to Dorian Thain so I am privy to some inside information about her. I am happy to share most of it but I must tell you that there are things about Max’s life that she would prefer remain private. No, there is no big dark secret, she does not have any bizarre or kinky habits or obsessions. She is just a private person who wound up in the public eye.

Author’s note: Just 3 days to the Evolution Expo! Packing today flying tomorrow. Hitting the conference the day after. See you there or check out my Facebook page for pictures.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Who is Max Gavaskar?

Welcome festive readers. Thanks for being here.

Who is Max Gavaskar? We talk about her a lot, how she became the Mother of the Galaxy and all but who is she really?

I met her when she first came to planet Kusha with my friend Dorian Thain. She had been a fugitive from the SID on planet Lava for almost a year when he found himself in a similar situation on the same world. They joined forces and, with the help of the Paladin Society and the HFA or Harappan Free Army, escaped to Kusha.

Dorian became a life long friend for Max Gavaskar. Not exactly a mentor but he did guide her very early on when she was only reluctantly accepting her place in the Milky Way.

Miles Sanderson was more of a mentor for her. He had become a close friend while she was hiding out on Lava. He had been sent there as punishment for trying to expose the problem with the illumaphane drive engines for the SID’s FTL ships.

Certainly not a fan of the SID Sanderson became friends with Max almost as soon as she arrived in the town of Salmo. It was with his help that she was able to thwart Gary Meyer’s attempt on her life during the Galactic War.

Note to the readers: Look for blogs from the Evolution Expo this coming weekend, my visit with Amanda Tapping and other well known celebrities of the science and science fiction world.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Notes from the Author: Evolution Expo this week!

Welcome great readers. Thanks for being here.

If it’s monday is must be the Evolution Expo week. Hooray! This will be the first multi-day sci fi con I’ve been to. AND I get in a visit with family and friends in the Bay Area.

Thursday I’m flying to Oakland and spending the night with family there. Friday the convention starts and I’m staying at the hotel so I will be emersed in sci fi and science for three wonderful days.

I am so excited about this especially because this convention merges the sci fi with science which is key for me. 

I’ve spent quite a bit of time debating creationists lately and it will be good to rub shoulders with my “peeps”, people who look to reason and evidence to form their world views.

My plan is to blog from the convention and between now and then I’ll be posting information about my books and the coming event.

Today I start packing. We’ve had a wild bunch of friends visiting for the weekend and I need a day to recover . . . but by Thursday I’ll be rolling again.

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Notes from the Author: Backstory notes.

Welcome fab readers. Thanks for being here.

All this week I’m I’d discussing the background stories for my Max Gavaskar Series of novels.

This blog often uses Philip Normer also known as Philip the Bard to tell some of the background for Max’s life.

Philip grew up in the White Mountains on planet Harappa. He was a simple man occasionally prone to overindulgence but tempered some. He married a Mandan girl named Ina, he met while traveling with Dorian Thain just before the arrival of humans from Earth. 

Ina travelled with him to Kusha and there they set up house. Philip started talking to former Harappans about their life stories. He started to write them down, eventually becoming the official historian for the Harappan years. It is to him that the Harappan History Project is attributed.

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Welcome Wicked Readers.

Welcome wicked readers. Thanks for being here.

The past couple of weeks we’ve been discussing galactic tourism. We mentioned several hot spots among the occupied worlds and later this week we’ll mention a few places folks like to see that are unoccupied.

Today lets mention the biggest tourist trip ever! The Fordians set our for what they call Galaxy Two several hundred years ago. Had it not been for Max Gavaskar’s insight they would not be completing it for thousands of years. As it is they should be returning in a matter of months.

They are traveling under the Gavaskar Field and so are coming on faster than light and they do not have any local Quick Quack crystals. That means they are not able to send word ahead about what they discovered at the galaxy we humans call Andromeda.

Everyone is eagerly waiting for news from Andromeda. What new civilizations will they have found? Will they have learned anything new about the nature of the Universe? We’ll see very soon and you will here it here as soon as word comes in.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Notes From Planet Kusha: Philip the Bard Pt 2

Welcome fine readers. Thanks for being here.

I preparation for the up coming Evolution Expo I am rehashing some of the early information I provided in this blog for the Harappan History Project. Yesterday I briefly mentioned who Philip the Bard was and today we’ll discuss more of his life.

Philip is my outlet for the back story of my novel. I explained yesterday that I wrote a significantly long novel which eventually became the backstory of the Max Gavaskar Series. 

Philip was born on Harappa about one hundred and eighty years after the planet was settled by Marcus Johnson and two thousand followers. They did not tell succeeding generations that they had come from planet Earth.  A new myth was created around Marcus Johnson who was called the Founder.

Harappans grew up believing they had come from a failed planet that no longer existed. Then humans from Earth showed up after having created a Faster Than Light starcraft.

Philip was there for the meeting. He was actually the first one to see the approaching Earth ship. He noticed an “extra star” in the Plow, one of the most prominent constellations in the Harappan night sky.

He was close friends with Dorian Thain who was drawn into a central place in the saga. The two friends were at the Battle of Caelum and were instrumental in the outcome there.

Philip did not go to Earth with Dorian (either time) but he was there when Dorian returned the second time with Max Gavaskar and Philip played a big part in Dorian’s return to power. From then on the story revolves around Max Gavaskar, the Mother of the, Galaxy.

So, Philip was there for most all of the important moments of the history leading up to  the First Galactic War.

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Notes from the Author: Who is Philip the Bard Pt 1?

Welcome festive readers. Thanks for being here.

Who is Philip the Bard?

Those of you who have been reading this blog for some time know a few things about Philip the Bard. He is a creation from the backstory of my sci fi saga.

The idea for my stories came over forty years ago. I was in Spain as part of my USAF tour of duty. I had just finished reading Lord of the Rings. I pondered what if . . . Middle Earth was really a settlement of humans from Earth who had forgotten their Earthly roots and . . . what would happen if humans from Earth showed up?

I wrote a short story about such a thing but I never finished it. Fast forward to a few years ago. I was living in BC Canada and had some time on my hands. I decided to try writing my old short story as a novel. It wound up being three novels (The Harappan Secret, The Harappan Curse and the Last Secret of the Founder). Philip Normer was the best friend and side kick of the hero of the saga Dorian Thain.

I was very proud of this saga and I tried to sell it to many publishers. I wasn’t getting any nibbles on my manuscript so I decided to try to write a series of short stories set in my universe. I was going to promote these stories in magazines as a way to generate interest in the novel.

But . . . along the way I fell in love with Max Gavaskar the heroin of the short stories. I decided to turn Max’s stories into a novel (The Gavaskar Field) and that led to the next two books, Kusha and The Mother of the Galaxy.

I wanted to promote Max’s story so I create this blog with Philip the Bard’s notes from all the backstory information. I doubt that the first three Harappan novels will be printed but there is a lot of great stuff in those stories. Philip the Bard is an outlet for all this information.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss some of his life.

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Notes from the author: Evolution Expo Coming Soon

Welcome bright readers. Thanks for being here.

I am going to slightly shift the focus of the blog in the coming few weeks. In two weeks I will be attending the Evolution Expo in Oakland California (sadly there is no Raider’s game that weekend). I am going to meet and greet members of the sci fi community in the hopes of promoting my book series.

Of course during the event I will be blogging from there and maybe tweeting too. Between now and then I am going to be laying out the details and background for the Gavaskar Series. Some of this will be a refresher for loyal readers of this blog, but I will try to keep things fresh and new.

I have mentioned several times on this blog that these stories are something I came up with over forty years ago. The people, places and events are all very real to me. I wrote the series as if they were a history, hence the title of the entire series “The Harappan History Project”.

Tomorrow I’ll talk about who is Philip the Bard

Never Mix Red Wine with Oodo

Earth year 2014

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: The Galaxy Two Mission

Welcome wicked readers. Thanks for being here.

The past couple of weeks we’ve been discussing galactic tourism. We mentioned several hot spots among the occupied worlds and later this week we’ll mention a few places folks like to see that are unoccupied.

Today lets mention the biggest tourist trip ever! The Fordians set our for what they call Galaxy Two several hundred years ago. Had it not been for Max Gavaskar’s insight they would not be completing it for thousands of years. As it is they should be returning in a matter of months.

They are traveling under the Gavaskar Field and so are coming on faster than light and they do not have any local Quick Quack crystals. That means they are not able to send word ahead about what they discovered at the galaxy we humans call Andromeda.

Everyone is eagerly waiting for news from Andromeda. What new civilizations will they have found? Will they have learned anything new about the nature of the Universe? We’ll see very soon and you will here it here as soon as word comes in.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Bubba the Science Fan's Friday Blog: Flat Earthers still live!

Welcome wild readers. Thanks for being here.

If it’s Friday it must be Bubba’s science blog. The last couple of weeks I’ve mentioned that I had been debating creationists on youtube. Well, this week I found that the rabbit hole goes even deeper than I thought. Flat Earthers still live!!!

I was going back and forth on evolution with one creationist and on the right of the screen were suggestions for other videos to watch. On that list were occasional flat earth “proofs”. I dismissed them as probably being from trolls but finally I decided to click on one.

I was astounded. These folks have a list of proofs they claim definitively prove that the Earth is flat. They show videos that purport to demonstrate that the horizon line stays at eye level no matter how high you fly ( but you can only fly so high because of the protective dome ). I watched their videos and I saw the curve of the Earth right there before me. I see it when I stand on the beach and look at the ocean. I saw it when I was in the USAF on a flight crew especially when we flew at higher altitudes.

So . . . I posted a few questions. I got back a passionate and angry response. I mean real passion. I was called a moron and a sheep because I had apparently bought into the false paradigm being promoted by schools and scientists and any one who’s been to space (but no one has really been to space because the moon trips and the ISS are all fake).

Apparently the UN flag has the best known representation of the flat Earth world map. I have come to understand that the South Pole does not exist. The edge of the Earth is there. There is a huge wall of ice (Game of Thrones may be on to something) that rings the edge of the Earth.

People like this used to toil alone, creating their conspiracies as a solitary endeavor. Now, with the aid of the net they can gather and feed each other’s fantasies. 

I got started debating creationists in the hope of elevating the consciousness of the American public. My experience with them and others like the flat Earthers has made me reconsider my optimism for the future. There is no guarantee that humanity moves forward at a constant pace towards expanded knowledge. I fear another Dark Ages. We need to wake up and improve our education system. If we loose that we lose civilization.

Never mix red wine with Oodo.

Earth Year 2014

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Who are the space tourists?

Welcome wonderful readers. Thanks for being here.

We’ve been talking about space tourism and we’ve discussed a few places where tourists go. But who are these beings? Traveling from one star system to another is an expensive thing. I travelled from Harappa to Kusha but that was during the first wave of migration when we had to start abandoning our homeworld due to the Harvest Day blast. Everyone who lived on Harappa took this trip.

I mentioned that Max Gavaskar has seen some of the tourist sites I’ve mentioned but she did it as a result of her work as an at large ambassador to several species around the Milky Way. She has seen more worlds than anyone I know of. (and I don’t think she is too happy about it)

So who are the tourists? Well, most of them are like Max, business or political people who travel as part of their profession. Not many people leave their world for fun. The Lor will take pleasure cruises. They are a curious species and they explore more than anyone with the possible exception of the Fordians.

The Fordians visit a lot of places but calling them tourists would not be quite correct. Tourists seem to enjoy the places they visit. The Fordians don’t seem to enjoy very much at all.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: The Color Shifting Dancers of Kalevla

Welcome comely readers. Thanks for being here.

This week we’re discussing some of the tourist destinations around the Milky Way.

Me? I’m not a tourist. I haven’t left Kusha since I got here, but then Kusha is possibly the most beautiful world in the galaxy. Some people say Earth is almost as beautiful but I’ve not been there so I won’t weigh in on this debate.

I have friends who have travelled around the Milky Way and they have mentioned some of their favorite places.

Dorian liked visiting the Kalevla’s world. The planet itself is not that spectacular but the people are quite interesting. They can change their  skin color. They can blend into the background quite well. Their entertainers can do amazing things with their skin. I don’t think they can do moving images but their dancers create dramatic color swirls and changes as they move. I understand it is quite dramatic and moving. I wish I could post a 3deo but I don’t have that tech available here.

I hope someday the traveling troop of the Kalevla Color Shifting Dancers comes to Kusha. I will be there in attendance if they come. My friend Dorian says don’t miss them if you get the chance.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 2480

Philip the Bard's Harappan Blog: Space Tourism

Welcome smart readers. Thanks for being here.

First off I need to make a correction. Yesterday I mentioned a planet called Kerant. I was wrong. Max Gavaskar went to the planet but she did not go to the surface there. The planet I was referring to is really called Kartastra.

Kerant is also a tourist destination. Cultural anthropologists go there to observe the culture. They are smart apes but very small, less than a meter tall. They are currently in a stone monument building period. Despite their size they are building large temples and structures out of stone blocks. I haven’t seen them but I have seen pictures from orbit. They look impressive but it’s hard to visualize their actual size from a picture.

I might also mention one more thing about Kartastra. Max did go there and did deal with some of the locals. She once told me that one of her biggest regrets was that she wasn’t able to return to Kartastra to rescue a scientist she met there who had an inkling that the universe was much larger than the Kartastrians believed. She said he pleaded for her to take him with her when she left the planet but her adherence to the Fordian laws prevented her from doing what she came to believe would have been the right thing to do. I believe it still bothers her.

Never mix red wine and Oodo.

Philip Normer

Kushan Year 88

Earth Year 248