Monthly Archives: November 2011

What is expected of America now? Happy Thanksgiving.

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Scripture says that, ” To those who much has been given, much is expected.” Consider the blessings the West has, especially The United States of America. She is blessed with abundant wealth, abundant resources, rich productive farm land and freedom.This is the time of the year when we all pause and reflect on our bounty., and offer prayers of thanksgiving with our families, and wish our friends and neighbors a “Happy Thanksgiving”.

But how do we behave? Are we truly thankful? Do we understand what we actually have? If we, like the Greeks were a deeply thoughtful and philosophical nation,  could we solve our problems and our differences with less rancor? I believe the answer is yes. If the religious spirit that inspired our forefathers was not politically incorrect, would we love our neighbors as ourselves and have an appreciation for all of our fellow human beings.I think so.

The modern paradox in America is paraded on the media daily. People cry out and demonstrate in the streets for more; a larger share of the pie. They throw tantrums in the name of the Occupy Movement and threaten Molotov cocktails and bombs at Macy’s and the Stock exchange. In fact it seems they are domestic terrorists.

On the other hand, The Congress bailed out the banks during the housing crisis, at the expense of causing massive generational debt. In the same urgency of spending taxpayers dollars fiddled them away on losing projects not shovel ready jobs. The banks won’t lend the money that was used to bail them out. So Congress and the banks have caused this mayhem.

The Super Committee charged by the Congress and President to fix the national budget, they unlawfully ignored for several years, appears poised to fail. When it fails automatic cuts across the Federal budget will occur starting in 2013. The net result is when it hits the fan no one can be blamed This is not considerate leadership In fact it is no leadership at all..

A friend of mine named Emile, spoke to me yesterday about the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. She represents freedom to all the people in the world and to the citizens of this country. With this freedom, Emile pointed out, comes rationalization and ultimately a sense of selfishness. People have lost some of their values in the pursuit of personal happiness. It is all about them. The buzz word is “me”.

I asked Emile if he had a suggestion or a solution to the problem. His response was, “There is a statue missing!”

There was a pause in the conversation. I expected a religious answer. Emilie explained, “There should also be a Statue of Responsibility.”

Theodore Morrison Homa MD

 

Henry is at it again! What is the Antikythera Shipwreck?

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Cocktail hour comes around once a day on Cape Cod. Chances are, when Henry Bender, my professor friend from the Hill School in Potts town Pennsylvania, shows up for a glass of wine, we will somehow wander into discussions about antiquities such as the one that triggered a starting place for my novel “Archimedes’ Claw”.

As predictable on a recent visit, the professor made another contribution to my knowledge. “Ted, have you heard of the Antikythera Shipwreck?” He started with a question. Of course I hadn’t and he was there to share the details.

Apparently from sources in a museum in Athens, Greece the Antikythera Shipwreck was discovered in deep waters northwest of the Greek island of Crete. The discovery was made in 1900 by a team of sponge divers. At the time the wreckage was 60 meters down. Many artifacts were immediately taken from the ship including a bronze arm of a statue. Archaeologists worked the site through 1902 until the deaths of several divers occurred from the bends.

One large piece of rock retrieved from the wreckage had a gearwheel embedded in it. This fragment was originally thought to be representative of one of the first mechanized clocks. Subsequent research including gamma-ray imaging revealed it to be the world’s oldest known analog computer. Now known as the “Antikythera Mechanism”.

Rob S Rice, in a paper published in 1995 for the USNA Eleventh Naval History Symposium, speculates that this type of mechanism was a navigational calendar or computer that may have dated to the time of Archimedes. In fact he states in his paper,”The Roman Cicero reports that the General Marcellus prized an orrery, or analog planetarium, of Archimedes’ more than any other booty from the fall of Syracuse”.

Indeed carbon dating from one plank of the hull of the wreck indicates the year 220 B.C.

Later scholars suggest that the real date of origin of the Antikythera mechanism was 87 B.C.Regardless of the origins of this particular artifact the evidence points to a high level of scientific and engineering achievement by the Greek civilization of that time.

In modern times, the famous “Jacques Cousteau recovered Pergamese coins from about 86–67 BC, which with Ephesian coins of 70–60 BC reinforces a view that this had been a treasure ship on its way to Rome including booty from Pergamon (circa 84 BC) after the First Mithradatic War”. The  evidence suggests the ship was Roman merchant ship of some 300 tons. It sunk on a well-used trade route from the Eastern to the Western Mediterranean.”The wreck and its contents are consistent with a date of 80–50 BC.”

Timing is everything! Which is one of the themes of my novel Archimedes’ Claw.  I look forward to hearing more about antiquities from my colleague and mentor, Henry Bender PhD.

Theodore Morrison Homa MD

 

 

 

Who is my target audience?

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When I first published my book, Archimedes’ Claw, I was informed by experts that my target audience was the 25- to 40-year-old male who was interested in science fiction. I believed that to be true.

But, now I have a new understanding. Not a day goes by when someone doesn’t go out of their way to seek me out. I have become a book seller. Two today. Three yesterday – and none of the buyers fit the projected demographic.

Mature men 40 to beyond 70 and women most unexpectedly from 25 to 87 all educated, experienced in the trials of many years; professionals; patriots; clergy; history buffs and hopeless romantics come and tell me they are reading my novel or want me to sell them a freshly signed copy. My fans are from every group I can name. The question is why.

They all are enamored with the story and the characters. The appeal is broad and I believe founded in fundamental values; perhaps the need for a hero or heroine.

I was wrong when I believed the experts

Although my novel is about a modern man of faith and character who is deeply involved in the pursuit of truth and scientific research, he is still a man of deep conviction, passion, and is loyal to a fault. He holds the woman he loves high on a pedestal and would die for her rather than see her harmed or dishonored. This is a love story for all times. He understands the importance of family and the brilliance of hard effort to achieve lofty goals. He feels loss and despair and most of all he is able to come to grips with and accept redemption.

Yes, the story is about science fiction. How else could I put a modern man into the reality of history? The novel is a fiction about mystery, romance, love and rich history. It is also about possibility and the road not taken. These are the essential ingredients of its substance. These are what today’s audience craves.

I believe the hero is Everyman and his lover Everywoman. I believe his best friend is the gold standard for such a friendship. I believe this process of marketing my book is continuously changing. It must be scrutinized and adapted every so often. Results must be reviewed, progress must be noted, holes must be filled and flaws must be fixed. But most of all, I believe it’s about getting my book into the right people’s hands.

How did you narrow down or re-evaluate your target audience?