tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81902147283574924162024-03-13T15:15:44.732-05:00Distant CousinAlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-66104534315805782682020-10-24T14:02:00.048-05:002023-02-07T08:39:01.601-06:00<p> IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Distant Cousin books have been reissued in new editions under new titles, and reorganized (with shorter chapters, for one thing, as well as minor changes to fit as YA stories), at the same low price. New readers and rereaders will find them as exciting and cheerful as ever, and doubly so during these parlous pandemic times. Best wishes to us all!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM9wXVHM2UQDgslGwLVQYhrtzJog7Lku_JypxKrqo4tdU6RtiRqQVEoArNZmTfKoOg90l9FDLAG9z1FzWJZH-jVvxCcPUM3Rz5WGs6mys_F2s0u2aSoXxRHkipjOQNEtlD0y_p5P2R-mq7HGlctrzLFHH9LfUH0Tvx7pbbQ9J4vWP4FeS_hhUEIzFqUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="378" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgM9wXVHM2UQDgslGwLVQYhrtzJog7Lku_JypxKrqo4tdU6RtiRqQVEoArNZmTfKoOg90l9FDLAG9z1FzWJZH-jVvxCcPUM3Rz5WGs6mys_F2s0u2aSoXxRHkipjOQNEtlD0y_p5P2R-mq7HGlctrzLFHH9LfUH0Tvx7pbbQ9J4vWP4FeS_hhUEIzFqUg" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In order:<div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086S5VVKR?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_0&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Moon Girl</a>, <div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086SPX84M?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_1&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Lost Girl</a>, </div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087X76N98?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_2&storeType=ebooks">Ransom Girl</a>, </div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0896X4CVT?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_3&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Danger Girl</a>, </div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BNDJ878?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_4&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Rescue Girl</a>, </div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CZ1848N?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_5&storeType=ebooks">Tricky Girl</a>, </div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DN74ZWS?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_6&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Scandal Girl</a>, and </div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08F7RMR3R?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_7&storeType=ebooks">Spriti Girl</a>.<p></p></div></div>Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-25799590741033687722018-06-03T21:25:00.000-05:002018-06-03T21:25:13.979-05:00Free for Kindle Unlimited! Such a deal!Four of the Distant Cousin books are currently free on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited!<br />
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This seems a particularly good time for a series about which one reader wrote "What a nice surprise 'Distant Cousin' was - quite unique. It has humor, moves along at a pleasant pace, and the main characters have realistic flaws and faults that I could identify with. ...I found myself smiling the entire time I was reading it. There is a subtle wisdom and numerous life philosophies throughout this book. To sum it up: good story - thoughtful, comfortable, and fun!"<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">Distant Cousin free at Amazon Kindle Unlimited!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet your Distant Cousin!</a></div>
Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-47860216166081187712018-02-22T23:35:00.002-06:002018-02-22T23:35:49.142-06:00An apology<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio98z0mQsPueRJYM-dSguV3nZatuqZJnpm8mTJI-Rs0ObwgmHfjf0x7SENz0I876AdZtKKbnL8sqihrlGDWPbd3ZHgmj_xRDgILzHnOJ-OzCW5sXBL0mBBbrY4KoUVctk2HLehHp3sNJZM/s1600/CecilySits_2_10Jul02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="353" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio98z0mQsPueRJYM-dSguV3nZatuqZJnpm8mTJI-Rs0ObwgmHfjf0x7SENz0I876AdZtKKbnL8sqihrlGDWPbd3ZHgmj_xRDgILzHnOJ-OzCW5sXBL0mBBbrY4KoUVctk2HLehHp3sNJZM/s320/CecilySits_2_10Jul02.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Visitors to this blog have enjoyed many of the poems extraterrestrial Ana Darcy loves. Her preferences are not as sophisticated as, say, an English professor's, but she's a sensitive, tender-hearted person and enjoys less abstract poems in English as deeply as native speakers do. This blog must contain links to two dozen or more of her favorites.<br />
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But now we owe Ana's readers an apology. To reproduce copyrighted poems here without permission is not fair, not to mention illegal. Instead, we give links to other sites which do have permission. Ana used to subscribe to a daily email from The Writers Almanac (TWA), which always offered a daily poem that Ana often loved. Probably the majority of the links to poetry in this blog are to TWA. Now, unfortunately, TWA has been closed and removed from the web, so readers who click those links now see a disclaimer page and no poem.<br />
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Here's an idea that might overcome that problem:<br />
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Last February, for example, many readers tried to click on Ana's favorite <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/02/favorite-valentines-day-love-poem.html">Valentine's Day poem</a> only to come up with a disclaimer page. As it happens, however, if you search the web for "Being in Love, by Chungmi Kim" you will be taken to a page at <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52905/being-in-love">The Poetry Foundation</a> , and there is the lovely poem!<br />
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If this method does not always work, then you could search to buy the book, or, of course, try the library--always a good idea!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYdRMZMt2uLeF-nwNnU0J4DPA7n5zdg6qWwmmG73xcQZVVrsv2LNEhdu6eqThfzg9E3B7OiD_OoDFHP6d4kT7fJDMDS5LFV-QVc9Lk6c2GX4svXV5Colg-8Mcq9QX2kA_GxqTPy1hn-l9/s1600/Amber15Sep10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYdRMZMt2uLeF-nwNnU0J4DPA7n5zdg6qWwmmG73xcQZVVrsv2LNEhdu6eqThfzg9E3B7OiD_OoDFHP6d4kT7fJDMDS5LFV-QVc9Lk6c2GX4svXV5Colg-8Mcq9QX2kA_GxqTPy1hn-l9/s320/Amber15Sep10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ana's poems are listed way down the right column under the LOVE sculpture</div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Why not meet Ana?</a></div>
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Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-37851965289234931352017-12-10T20:15:00.001-06:002017-12-10T20:15:42.836-06:00Another Distant Cousin scoop: sexual harassment!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDK51X0aPIM-_mbhFbcfaBwsTdD_kIv2v3I8x2By_xSzAtX5y4tU-7_mizGgHFsKjSxDogXCGdNaN-F5nyS1CwKUO122Hj3o9flm-SY1lTAr4dRYaj3RxotjkPMjjlMubuWLe6iufC80_/s1600/AnaThumb31jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="430" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDK51X0aPIM-_mbhFbcfaBwsTdD_kIv2v3I8x2By_xSzAtX5y4tU-7_mizGgHFsKjSxDogXCGdNaN-F5nyS1CwKUO122Hj3o9flm-SY1lTAr4dRYaj3RxotjkPMjjlMubuWLe6iufC80_/s320/AnaThumb31jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Distant Cousin stories, while contemporary--set in today's world, more or less--are not meant to be predictive. Yet because they do deal with and around current affairs, sometimes they might seem predictive. This blog has already collected over <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/06/distant-cousin-predicts-future-nine.html">eight such examples</a>, and later <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2016/09/once-again-distant-cousin-scoops-news.html">several more</a>. Now there is another. The scene excerpted below comes from <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2014/09/early-returns-what-are-readers-saying.html">Distant Cousin Two Worlds Daughter</a>, first published in 2014.<br />
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In it, Ana is attending the Davos Conference in Davos, Switzerland, where politicians, corporate magnates, and billionaire big shots are thick on the ground. One of the latter, a billionaire playboy publisher, wants Ana to agree to his offer to make a multi-million dollar, authorized version movie of her life on Earth. Ana has zero interest in such, quite the reverse, in fact. Here is what happens then. (We blank out two words in case our host might object to them.)<br />
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Sensing it was now her turn, Ana professed herself flattered and delighted with the concept and promised to recommend it to the board of directors of the Second Planet Foundation at the earliest opportunity.<br />
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Bianchi, ruddy cheeks glowing, stood and demanded a group photo to commemorate the beginning of the glorious project. A publicist and an aide produced cameras and associated hardware, and the principals lined up behind the table, Ana and Bianchi in the center. While the camera person focused, Bianchi laid his arm behind Ana's back and surreptitiously pulled her closer, squeezing her breast from the side. She instantly moved his hand away. No one seemed to notice her flash of anger. The camera clicked several times.<br />
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Bianchi, smiling and undeterred, announced, "And now a kiss, to seal the deal!"<br />
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With the same hand, he pulled her neck to him and planted a kiss square on her lips. Or rather, he began to plant a kiss: at the same time Ana brought a hand up and gave his right ear a hard twist.<br />
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"Oww!" he bellowed, "S__t!"<br />
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The room went deathly still, except for Bianchi, grimacing in pain.<br />
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She stepped back, her eyes like daggers.<br />
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"God d__n!" he said, hand to his ear.<br />
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"You, sir, have no honor," she said through clenched teeth, and stormed out of the room.<br />
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Her assistant couldn't exactly follow her unobtrusively, but he did the best he could.<br />
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We have yet to see reported any instance of a woman doing something like this these days...but perhaps it's not far off. When it does happen, our congratulations here can be yet another scoop of the future.<br />
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-83425995530780410232017-07-01T15:51:00.001-05:002017-07-11T21:28:47.952-05:00MORE music! A World Premier composition!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8teC0YlmxI5AaFEpVkEZjB1YuDEqH_mfBnx2ABYAUdtcCbx6W6SPqplq9GEK4EPkawNbr03EGZHgDLdZItaTvdDwkeTpiwwdPGOS2VEItVRcItIDnsVwztIFpFcxz2o9eUIatxHC_TJ4/s1600/1+Simple+Gifts+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="1600" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8teC0YlmxI5AaFEpVkEZjB1YuDEqH_mfBnx2ABYAUdtcCbx6W6SPqplq9GEK4EPkawNbr03EGZHgDLdZItaTvdDwkeTpiwwdPGOS2VEItVRcItIDnsVwztIFpFcxz2o9eUIatxHC_TJ4/s320/1+Simple+Gifts+Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Announcing an original composition for Ana Darcy, a five movement suite for harpsichord (or piano), with each movement based on the style of a different baroque composer: Partita on Simple Gifts, by Larry Wallach, of Simon's Rock College of Bard.<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Adolphe">Bruce Adolphe</a>, the creator of hundreds of <a href="https://www.yourclassical.org/programs/performance-today/topic/piano-puzzler">Piano Puzzlers </a>for NPR, has called this piece one of the best such puzzlers he has heard. Ana's editor thinks the second one is in the style of J. S. Bach, but Mr. Adolphe says the third closely imitates another work of that gentleman. You are free to make your own guesses.<br />
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They are short. All five take less than seven minutes together. The first establishes the theme of the well-known Shaker hymn. The second offers it in intimate counterpoint. The three that follow employ increasingly elaborate and inventive variations, but no one need analyze too long. It's best to just enjoy and let them build.<br />
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We are honored to have the world famous harpsichordist Rebecca Pechefsky perform this first recording. (Composer Larry Wallach was the first to perform it in concert for a live audience.) You may also like dozens of Ms. Pechefsky's masterful recordings at YouTube, on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/QuillClassics">Quill Channel.</a><br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/HHJvYp-ZV4Q">Partita on Simple Gifts</a></div>
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You may also enjoy more of Ana Darcy's musical favorites under the music staff in the column on the right, towards the bottom.<br />
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana Darcy!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/07/a-note-about-distant-cousin-theme-song.html">The Distant Cousin theme song </a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/01/more-frisks-for-ana-rebecca-pechefsky.html">Rebecca Pechefsky plays Bach BWV 829</a></div>
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-4967151379011700312017-06-26T21:39:00.001-05:002017-07-18T21:58:55.977-05:00A Musical Interlude: Bach's Little Fugue, BWV 573!Hollywood is still working out the business of the Distant Cousin series--after all, if each book took a year to be written, how long will a TV series of five of the seven books take? So here's a slight change of pace, just for fun.<br />
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/01/bibliographical-word-from-anas-editor.html">Earlier we mentioned</a> the first book that Ana's editor published was a book of over 40 baroque duets, arranged from works of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and others. It was intended to address the sad lack of challenging, fun music for two players. If there are are musicians reading this, I hope they have experienced the delight of playing well with a duet buddy. The duets in this book are mostly advanced with a fair number of intermediate ones mixed in. There are many delights.<br />
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My own duet buddy, back when I was lively enough to play them (and also, alas, before the ubiquity of cell phone videos and digital sound recording.), called the book "Killer Duets," because they usually left us puffing.<br />
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In <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/03/anas-brain-is-filled-with-frisks-and.html">another post</a> we offered one of those duets in printable form for duet buddies to actually try out. Now it is our great pleasure to present two outstanding musicians playing this very duet: Drs. Scott Hagarty and Mary Thornton. They said they had fun making it. You may click on that link and follow the music with them!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA9Xon9CNB0">Bach: "Little Fugue" in g minor, BWV 573</a></div>
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<a href="http://charlescolin.com/product/baroque-duets-for-two-trumpets/">Where to order the book, if you have the nerve</a></div>
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NOTE: This "Little Fugue" is counterpoint; that is it has two melodies at the same time, back and forth all the way through. Listen for them! Ana Darcy loves this. Many people do. <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-would-ana-or-anyone-love-polyphony.html">WHY?</a><br />
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet the fascinating Ana Darcy Méndez!</a></div>
Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-87313329838953676092017-05-09T22:43:00.000-05:002017-10-01T20:46:25.819-05:00Amazon's Package Deal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93t6MQkrp_NhvZRTk_oYjI0ciXZlSiRVV-M1ga4wILQuZKz1GVtNXYR80nXokilrULpz2qP1SXzGX4ngjeiY6y_MpUQrM4LpdcdpJBXG6XxhnmI_A-4nR_ZztbXxQQ6ShhNfXypP5NkpF/s1600/Amazon+Set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93t6MQkrp_NhvZRTk_oYjI0ciXZlSiRVV-M1ga4wILQuZKz1GVtNXYR80nXokilrULpz2qP1SXzGX4ngjeiY6y_MpUQrM4LpdcdpJBXG6XxhnmI_A-4nR_ZztbXxQQ6ShhNfXypP5NkpF/s1600/Amazon+Set.jpg" /></a></div>
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May 9, 2017<br />
Just in, a terrific deal from Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Distant-Cousin-7-Book/dp/B072BLYV65/ref=sr_1_15?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1506908717&sr=1-15&keywords=distant+cousin">the entire seven Distant Cousin volumes </a>to date, in one neat, highly affordable set!<br />
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Only Amazon knows how long it will be offered, but for entertainment value as well as convenience, right now it's hard to beat <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BLYV65/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1494386714&sr=1-2&keywords=distant+cousin">this offer</a> from Amazon. It's a summer reading bonanza!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYApICukc0ofZI4h6IzUjWM93qBVA2gXGNxxXuh0HptxQberEQr9KX5-_rt7MjzgDn869t3gr9KGyzVWtukzV6UHbaEYGOuFNtRoWaytL07bgiQmQS9gazODRQhLAm2XTIElsV0xl4iiR/s1600/2pop1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYApICukc0ofZI4h6IzUjWM93qBVA2gXGNxxXuh0HptxQberEQr9KX5-_rt7MjzgDn869t3gr9KGyzVWtukzV6UHbaEYGOuFNtRoWaytL07bgiQmQS9gazODRQhLAm2XTIElsV0xl4iiR/s320/2pop1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Why all the fuss about Ana Darcy?</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/06/would-distant-cousin-make-good-movie.html">You mean, Distant Cousin could become a series?</a></div>
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(Yes, it could, in fact. Episodes have been scripted and seasons laid out. Watch this space for future developments!)Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-56801193751048075592016-09-22T11:46:00.000-05:002017-05-11T15:18:13.261-05:00Once again, Distant Cousin scoops the news!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once again, something in today's headlines was foreseen in the world of Ana Darcy's Distant Cousin chronicles. Ana admitted, in her 2005 debut in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Distant-Cousin-Arrival-Al-Past-ebook/dp/B01G9NH51I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1464556824&sr=1-1&keywords=distant+cousin+arrival">Distant Cousin Arrival</a>, that she had had her genes slightly modified before she was born, and she went on to explain the main two differences that set her apart from most of her fellows. Today, in a story on NPR's Morning Edition (<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/09/22/494591738/breaking-taboo-swedish-scientist-seeks-to-edit-dna-of-healthy-human-embryos">Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos</a>) we learn that our own scientists, for better or worse (hopefully for better) are beginning to investigate that very possibility now. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7QGYfaL9WIRkx7q4Ka5uBJGWeYqCCbZIEQ11K7jrJeZSR3u9_UInQHTOeue2RySfgWco_htaKn-m6nY62qnXwLwxAucTP-es4koISkPArn8CDjw2F1VYn-h8tTIE78qBpXSYGIu2D30b/s1600/AnaThumb38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7QGYfaL9WIRkx7q4Ka5uBJGWeYqCCbZIEQ11K7jrJeZSR3u9_UInQHTOeue2RySfgWco_htaKn-m6nY62qnXwLwxAucTP-es4koISkPArn8CDjw2F1VYn-h8tTIE78qBpXSYGIu2D30b/s200/AnaThumb38.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Distant Cousin stories have anticipated developments in science and the news many times before--more than a dozen so far (<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/06/distant-cousin-predicts-future-nine.html">examples</a>). Readers disagree, however, as to whether the stories are "science fiction" or not. There is no time travel, no hopping blithely from galaxy to galaxy, no worm holes to other dimensions, and the like. Ana's world is our world, pretty much, our world today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But you shouldn't read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">the Distant Cousin stories</a> merely to wonder about future advancements in science and technology. What you'll love is the <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">great characters</a>, in colorful places and unexpected situations, situations that intrigue and stir your imagination. That is the reason Distant Cousin is being turned into a <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/06/would-distant-cousin-make-good-movie.html">series</a>. It may take years to appear, but you don't have to wait. The pleasure is available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Distant-Cousin-Arrival-Al-Past-ebook/dp/B01G9NH51I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1464556824&sr=1-1&keywords=distant+cousin+arrival">right now</a>!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKvSG93boaGJmZ4nqOmmK3tUBac_xfZVYAgy9220mXFiViK1qrFbHOhVDS5hEcgN4jq0uGwLXh-m9CoRFE250dcQ-0xw8elUNV1LEesPYzFs9wkB96znPG-jhWvCRPC1dyQsSvj2y2-He/s1600/KindleReaders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKvSG93boaGJmZ4nqOmmK3tUBac_xfZVYAgy9220mXFiViK1qrFbHOhVDS5hEcgN4jq0uGwLXh-m9CoRFE250dcQ-0xw8elUNV1LEesPYzFs9wkB96znPG-jhWvCRPC1dyQsSvj2y2-He/s320/KindleReaders.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet your distant cousin!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are many excerpts in Ana's blog:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/distant-cousin-excerpts.html">Here are two</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before it's a TV series, it's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">a series</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-73618247437539539352016-04-03T22:17:00.002-05:002016-04-03T22:17:44.298-05:00Take a drive through Ana's pecan trees!The extraterrestrial sweetheart, ranch wife, and star of the Distant Cousin stories, Ana Darcy, lives with her family near Mesilla, in southern New Mexico just south of Las Cruces (and about forty miles north of El Paso, Texas). A narrow width of highly productive farmland lies along the Rio Grande River, with harsh desert close on either side. The entire area can easily be seen from the air, <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/11/photo-mesilla-valley.html">in this post</a> and below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgUFKrvoyRje2OOStLZOgunKLLIT49bGDDQHzRxu-hZvwFm5kQW4ZFclTTMXCyvdfWhsSPj09S7BS7wNVUatNvZ9LWF7to4JSRv-uhyeHp6ii9SeH4egvLAY9I2Ry7hiLCsrMFqKSUprK/s1600/MesillaValleyOct09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgUFKrvoyRje2OOStLZOgunKLLIT49bGDDQHzRxu-hZvwFm5kQW4ZFclTTMXCyvdfWhsSPj09S7BS7wNVUatNvZ9LWF7to4JSRv-uhyeHp6ii9SeH4egvLAY9I2Ry7hiLCsrMFqKSUprK/s320/MesillaValleyOct09.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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Several satellite photos of the same area may be seen <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/maps-west-texas-fort-davis-observatory.html">here</a> as well. The larger solid green areas, believe it or not, are vast orchards of pecan trees which yield over twenty-five million pounds of pecans a year. </div>
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Of interest to readers, Ana's husband keeps his wife's space pod in a leased machinery building in the middle of one of these groves. They are fenced and patrolled and the family has never had a problem with intruders--not yet, anyway.</div>
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New Mexico Highway 28, the original paved road from Las Cruces to El Paso is seen in the photo above as a thin line running top to bottom. It is not the wider line, which is the bed of the river. </div>
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A drive down Highway 28 can be beautifully hypnotic. Here is a small taste, made from a car traveling 55 mph. Try it! You will see a LOT of pecan trees!</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IbRCG3VnBkQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IbRCG3VnBkQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet the owner of the space pod</a>! </div>
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<a href="http://www.bloggernews.net/111868">A professional review</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">Readers have their say</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0cMmQofMYBMJ1z7hrZL_2Zlb_P78XMvuSKtCclXhKFK9A7gO5YQZR3av9hUeOOixbFYIwY_tK0lxgVElJr0jfJdj2lKjWCprAs4cxqyrCNgne7RZMyGeUc1ar1rRsu_gqtN-pJZ4dZNH/s1600/AnaThumb22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0cMmQofMYBMJ1z7hrZL_2Zlb_P78XMvuSKtCclXhKFK9A7gO5YQZR3av9hUeOOixbFYIwY_tK0lxgVElJr0jfJdj2lKjWCprAs4cxqyrCNgne7RZMyGeUc1ar1rRsu_gqtN-pJZ4dZNH/s1600/AnaThumb22.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-13990856206695627042016-01-18T20:07:00.000-06:002017-08-01T13:42:15.347-05:00Ana and son explain another cool math puzzle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxWGcqaIexQM6YDoOhKl3f7PVtmcpqchrn3qI9eKAvdjA2baS8Kx23lgB1X_Bmm6VqjXzOcSteW_I2fbd82SGJLrxc47vKeUbitMMhzDy5QG-Xk3widJHOdO1SZ5nP3gv995rWroRL8NH/s1600/WFWineCups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxWGcqaIexQM6YDoOhKl3f7PVtmcpqchrn3qI9eKAvdjA2baS8Kx23lgB1X_Bmm6VqjXzOcSteW_I2fbd82SGJLrxc47vKeUbitMMhzDy5QG-Xk3widJHOdO1SZ5nP3gv995rWroRL8NH/s320/WFWineCups.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Remember the <a href="http://www.wimp.com/mathcard/"><b>card trick on YouTube</b></a>, where the poster begged someone to explain how it worked? Ana and her son Julio figured it out and the explanation is <b><u><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/02/ana-and-son-explain-great-card-trick.html">here</a></u></b>, in Ana's own handwriting.</div>
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Now they've done another one. She and her son loved a puzzle Tom and Ray Magliozzi used on an episode of Car Talk on NPR. It's simple (but not that easy). Here's the puzzle: </div>
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Using only standard mathematical symbols (x, ., /, ÷, etc.) make three nines (9, 9, and 9) equal 20. </div>
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Ana was embarrassed that Julio figured it out before she did, but it might be because Julio grew up knowing Earth's standard mathematical notation system. Ana didn't. She came to it as an adult, when she arrived on the moon from Thomo. Thoman math uses different symbols. Our symbols are a second language to her, mathematically speaking. </div>
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When you give up, you may find the answer, plus Julio's insightful understanding of this problem, <b><u><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/p/math-puzzle-explained.html">here</a></u></b>.</div>
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(The wildflowers--wine cups--are only a reminder of warmer weather.)</div>
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Other puzzles from our extraterrestrial Distant Cousin:</div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/easy-cat-puzzle.html">Kitten puzzle</a> </div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/10/anas-favorite-puzzle-poem.html">A puzzle poem that delighted Ana</a> </div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/03/anas-musical-puzzler-challenge-to.html">A musical puzzle!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/photo-puzzle.html">Photo puzzle: find Ana!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/01/great-ana-darcy-shoe-quiz.html">Find Ana Darcy's shoes!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/10/language-games-in-mexican-american.html">Méndez family language games</a> </div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/04/puzzle-from-mendez-family-time.html">New Mexican town names puzzle</a> </div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/recipe-challenge.html">Recipe puzzle</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet your distant cousin Ana!</a></div>
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-67786392326128594702016-01-15T21:43:00.000-06:002017-05-11T15:19:09.108-05:00El Chapo or El Checo? Distant Cousin scoops the news again. Twice!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h8CBE2fFgZPJWpCwp7I_dYJXOZEdmFxEQ4jK1Atfst3lePLgP06Cqt0SBMnFPq6Z0KZFkfSgAJXXdDA26HeBmOxerxH5a-52KQYPZmW0fQ8cISiVwTt35abt8KWe5nq4o64N2oEr2Fly/s1600/El+Checo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h8CBE2fFgZPJWpCwp7I_dYJXOZEdmFxEQ4jK1Atfst3lePLgP06Cqt0SBMnFPq6Z0KZFkfSgAJXXdDA26HeBmOxerxH5a-52KQYPZmW0fQ8cISiVwTt35abt8KWe5nq4o64N2oEr2Fly/s200/El+Checo.jpg" width="182" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTa4KdIGHpXxTc4WkslZSX-XV095i3oOBq0BWjcdB8x3XywpaZdzIvBdxAtQrXKCpxuDnrXfRfF-HUNGn1j-1fGkLG62_MdKf9qZoF01GBtlZ0zXSkMFjsgrdSuOld01Eq5NIfjNZONlz/s1600/El+Chapo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTa4KdIGHpXxTc4WkslZSX-XV095i3oOBq0BWjcdB8x3XywpaZdzIvBdxAtQrXKCpxuDnrXfRfF-HUNGn1j-1fGkLG62_MdKf9qZoF01GBtlZ0zXSkMFjsgrdSuOld01Eq5NIfjNZONlz/s1600/El+Chapo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTa4KdIGHpXxTc4WkslZSX-XV095i3oOBq0BWjcdB8x3XywpaZdzIvBdxAtQrXKCpxuDnrXfRfF-HUNGn1j-1fGkLG62_MdKf9qZoF01GBtlZ0zXSkMFjsgrdSuOld01Eq5NIfjNZONlz/s200/El+Chapo.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
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Fans of the Distant Cousin books already know the series has anticipated many recent and surprising events in the world today, in politics, medicine, athletics and more. (There are EIGHT examples <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/06/distant-cousin-predicts-future-nine.html">here</a>.) Now, in quick succession, there are two more.<br />
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In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Distant-Cousin-Santa-Muerte-7-ebook/dp/B0146XWON2/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1441635022&sr=1-3&keywords=distant+cousin">Distant Cousin: Santa Muerte</a>, Earth's favorite extraterrestrial Ana Darcy Méndez and her daughter run into one El Checo, a notorious drug kingpin, in northern Mexico. Let's only say that their encounter turned out a little differently than the one that put the real El Chapo in the news five months <u>after</u> the book was published.<br />
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The second item is also from the news of the last few days: <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/01/14/462911847/what-a-difference-a-drug-makes-in-the-fight-against-river-blindness">progress in the fight against river blindness</a>, a nasty disease the World Health Organization calls a "neglected tropical disease." The lack of treatment was noted in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Distant-Cousin-Repatriation-Al-Past-ebook/dp/B001GQ3DIS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1192398356&sr=8-2">Distant Cousin: Repatriation</a> in 2006, chapter 32, in which Ana cannot understand why the people of Earth don't do more to fight it. Now, at last, they have. About time!<br />
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The Distant Cousin stories do NOT try to predict the future. Their genre has always been difficult to define. They take place on Earth in the present day with only humans (including Ana, the extraterrestrial), and the occasional cat or horse. They have been called character-driven western Chicano action/adventure romance sci-fi stories. Whatever they might be, they are also fun!<br />
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana, the extraterrestrial!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/09/uh-oh-readers-write.html">Share the fun!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">Share even more fun!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2014/07/distant-cousin-movie-it-could-happen.html">Get pumped for the series!</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHas1jQTjJ0Nk-8nP4PvumFhnF1w6NrINo3BLPBIixPDxxxLHF_xtR-0vrBWHe0_QCbY6ksrgRfeRygCEQERNdo5C7fjzw4rE6E7Q4OuAQLnIG12XrrvCsTmV1ZeitpIQ7Iqag4aC5W51/s1600/GreekPAM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHas1jQTjJ0Nk-8nP4PvumFhnF1w6NrINo3BLPBIixPDxxxLHF_xtR-0vrBWHe0_QCbY6ksrgRfeRygCEQERNdo5C7fjzw4rE6E7Q4OuAQLnIG12XrrvCsTmV1ZeitpIQ7Iqag4aC5W51/s200/GreekPAM1.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-10469707650877708812015-10-20T21:54:00.000-05:002018-05-15T23:16:37.517-05:00The problem with "real" booksThe problem with "real" books is painfully obvious to any book lover:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LkV8UNj2Cf5cl7YphwHjl5xBmRhEY_HSSp7QwlVbQZ4jTF9_Iu1LmW7ozz5inzGwgEUe6CxdEZ6iY10HGl-FnujdfsJCJwFXYltCqFGeRV91aq2xPBffxrdwbanSSSd_PsGDUflAiG4V/s1600/AlsBookProblems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LkV8UNj2Cf5cl7YphwHjl5xBmRhEY_HSSp7QwlVbQZ4jTF9_Iu1LmW7ozz5inzGwgEUe6CxdEZ6iY10HGl-FnujdfsJCJwFXYltCqFGeRV91aq2xPBffxrdwbanSSSd_PsGDUflAiG4V/s320/AlsBookProblems.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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E-books, as far as we know, weigh nothing and take up no space. Anyone who can make a case to the contrary is invited to comment.</div>
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Another huge advantage of e-books, at least in the case of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">Distant Cousin stories</a>, is that the price-to-entertainment ratio is super-attractive. Each one creates the type of mental movie that appeals to almost everyone. (Several could be double features.) Fast readers with time to spare could be lost for a week. Readers who are slower or have little spare time can look forward to weeks immersed in the unforgettable chronicles of Ana Darcy, the first alien to find her way <u>back</u> to Earth. </div>
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The best thing is that all seven Kindle editions cost about what the first one costs in paperback, the approximate cost of one movie theater ticket, a drink, and popcorn.</div>
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As one person told us (with a smile), "You know I love to read escapist trash. Yours is as good as the best of it. It's better than most of it!"</div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Who is Ana Darcy?</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">What have readers been saying about her</a>...</div>
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...<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/05/another-little-toot-of-horn.html">and her chronicles</a>?</div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2014/07/distant-cousin-movie-it-could-happen.html">You mean, it might be a TV series some day? Really??</a></div>
<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-83512991170218536222015-09-07T09:49:00.000-05:002015-09-07T09:49:44.732-05:00Announcing Distant Cousin: Santa Muerte!We are thrilled to announce the publication of the next story in the Distant Cousin chronicles:<br />
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Distant Cousin: Santa Muerte</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fnB9E_AoPQnf7lSmdcwifz1wzREz_0x9nUOOWvjarAG6GjatAcoDE0IS6S4NW_i2jr1HLgMegUSG5r5SQU1vHTeVs8agHyuBPy4s309_GMGdOcotp1gUB4BuHJ3Mrivk5SS0_nGi54mL/s1600/DC7+blog+gadget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fnB9E_AoPQnf7lSmdcwifz1wzREz_0x9nUOOWvjarAG6GjatAcoDE0IS6S4NW_i2jr1HLgMegUSG5r5SQU1vHTeVs8agHyuBPy4s309_GMGdOcotp1gUB4BuHJ3Mrivk5SS0_nGi54mL/s1600/DC7+blog+gadget.jpg" /></a></div>
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...at a budget price both in electronic and paper versions! Here's the publisher's info:</div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">I highly recommend that any intellectually curious reader begin with the first book in the series. You will not be able to put it down. I also recommend a perusal of the Ana Darcy Blog to see the complete three-dimensional story that Al has created. Note that the story has been contracted to a movie agent, a fate it most certainly deserves. As All-American entertaining fiction, the Distant Cousin Series is hot stuff! Reading all the Distant Cousin books is like playing a movie in your head. This is the way we want life to be. This is the way we want Americans to respond to aliens if they ever arrive on Earth. Life should always be like this. Floyd M. Orr, POD Book Reviews & More. </span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">All families experience stress, but the Méndez family of Mesilla, New Mexico is a special case. Ana Méndez is the first alien to have reached Earth from another planet. She and her New Mexican husband and their eerily gifted young adult twins live peaceful secret lives in their home on the Rio Grande River--except for their increasing identity problems. What could be better stress relief than a family vacation to their husband's ancestral home in Chihuahua, Mexico, with good company, new sights, fancy food, and adventure? But after the local "Saint of Death" enters the scene, the delightful vacation suddenly takes a dangerous turn....</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2015/09/distant-cousin-santa-muerte-sample.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">A taste of the story</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #073763; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Reception by readers</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"></a><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html" style="line-height: 22.4px;">Meet your distant cousin</a>!</div>
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Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-18821079747251377122015-09-07T09:31:00.002-05:002018-04-04T21:35:12.788-05:00Distant Cousin: Santa Muerte SAMPLE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgu01WgjTosXxTcRauS1nVwofP7xADMLlAmfc2xQzK5aOQFhwIO3PYsYwr4atKRAJTk0rZneq5_BCREaKSw9or5O2kbnAI_cWOlnrqzYloR-hmIFGmaH_KPORzwycYEQjH2CZBM9i-RB6/s1600/DC7+blog+gadget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgu01WgjTosXxTcRauS1nVwofP7xADMLlAmfc2xQzK5aOQFhwIO3PYsYwr4atKRAJTk0rZneq5_BCREaKSw9or5O2kbnAI_cWOlnrqzYloR-hmIFGmaH_KPORzwycYEQjH2CZBM9i-RB6/s1600/DC7+blog+gadget.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Unit 212.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“212. Go ahead.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ken Stackhouse, senior sociology major
at The University of Texas at El Paso, did his best to follow the terse
exchange of information between Sergeant Molina and his dispatcher, but it was
confusing. Police communications were not chatty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “You
follow that, kid?” Molina asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Maybe. They’re asking you to back up
another unit somewhere, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right: a fight at a sports bar just off
North Mesa, about a mile from here.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Did one of those codes mean lights but
no siren?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Right. And that means what?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I guess it means it’s over. They’re
finishing up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yeah. Coupla injuries, not serious.
EMTs are there.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I missed that part.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“We’ll check around, make sure the area’s
clear and then go inside.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Will they be expecting you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yeah. Did you hear someone say ‘240?’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Uh, I think so….”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“That’s unit 240 onsite, Amos and
Russell, saying they’d heard we were backing them up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ah.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In four evenings patrolling with
Sergeant Molina, Stackhouse had yet to see any real action, but that was fine
with him. His major emphasis was community relations, not law enforcement. He
didn’t need to learn the arcane professional lingo the officers used. Their
relations with the public were more to the point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The sergeant turned the cruiser onto a
four-lane street where, several blocks ahead, the flashing lights of an
ambulance and a police cruiser signaled their destination. Molina drove past
slowly, checking both sides of the avenue, turned left, and repeated the
process all the way around the block. Except for the emergency vehicles
everything looked quiet. He pulled in alongside the other cruiser, notified the
dispatcher, and unfastened his seatbelt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m going inside,” he said. “I suggest
you stand by out here until I get back.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“OK. Sure.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He’d been riding awhile so he got out
and stretched. Sporty’s Bar and Grill was in the middle of a block of mid-level
businesses. Some were open (Subway, Walgreens), others closed. Perhaps fifty
vehicles were parked nearby. A girl was leaning against a cement planter full
of ornamental bushes to the left of the bar. He walked over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hi,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hi,” she replied.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Whatcha doing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Waiting for my brother.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From her glance at him she clearly knew
he wasn’t a police officer. He was in street clothes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m a college student,” he explained.
“I’m riding with the police as an observer.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She nodded but didn’t bother to answer
his question. She was cute: petite, long light brown hair in a ponytail, tight
jeans and a frilly green blouse with a splash of colorful Mexican embroidery down
the front.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Did you see any of what went on here
earlier?” he said, tilting his head towards the sports bar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Uh-huh,” she nodded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The doors of the bar opened. Two EMTs
emerged pushing a gurney. The head of the man on the gurney was wrapped in a
white bandage. Next came two walking wounded with white bandages on their hands
that made them look like cartoon characters. A police officer brought up the
rear. The officer watched them all load into the ambulance, which rolled away
under flashing lights. Sergeant Molina and a third officer emerged and the
three conferred briefly. Amos and Russell got in their cruiser and followed the
ambulance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This young woman said she saw what
happened,” he said to Molina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The sergeant walked to her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Were you inside or outside, miss?” he
asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Inside,” she said. “They started
arguing about soccer teams,” she said, “my date and his friend, and three other
guys. They got angry, started pushing each other, and a fight broke out. I came
out here and called my brother to come get me,” she said. “My date was an
idiot. They were all idiots.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Have you got some ID?” the sergeant asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She nodded. She pulled a driver’s license out of her
pocket and handed it to him. He studied it briefly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Happy birthday, Ms. Méndez,” he said. “Have
you had anything to drink?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“A licuado. Strawberry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Nothing alcoholic? To celebrate your
birthday?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, sir. My date celebrated for both of
us. The dummy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Can you add any details to what you’ve
told us?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I saw the third guy drive off in a
yellow sports car. It might have been a Corvette; I don’t know much about
sports cars. He had tattoos all around his neck. I heard him called ‘Feo.’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“’Feo.’ So, was he ugly?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No. He wasn’t bad looking at all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Irony. Figures. What sort of tattoos?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“They were vertical lines or bars, kind
of, and I guess it was a scorpion, below his right ear.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Molina was jotting notes in a small
notebook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Did you happen to notice the license
number?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No, sir. I’m sorry. I didn’t. He was in
a hurry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Molina studied the driver’s license
again. He made another note.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“OK, Ms. Méndez. Here’s your ID and my
cop card. If you think of anything else, please call us. We might get back in
touch, all right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yes, sir. Of course.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“When do you expect your brother? Soon?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">She looked at her watch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ten minutes. I hope.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“OK. We’re going to check inside again.
If you’re still here when we come out, we can drop you somewhere or call you a
cab if you need.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’ll be fine. Thanks.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stackhouse followed Molina into the bar.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Kid had manners,” Molina said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yeah, but she was pissed,” Stackhouse
added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There were still customers in the bar,
but not in the vicinity of the pool tables, where there were a tipped over
table and chairs, spilled drinks, broken glasses, and two halves of a pool cue.
A bus boy was pushing the wreckage into a pile with a broom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The manager was behind the bar on the
telephone, apparently with the bar owner. He hung up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Still don’t want to press charges?”
Molina asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Not worth the insurance hassle,” he
said. “Something like this happens every month or so. Goddam soccer. It’s the
worst.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Every month?” Stackhouse asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“More or less. Depends on what sport’s
in playoffs. This bust-up was different, though. I told the other officers but
they thought I was joking.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Joking about what?” asked Molina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The fight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What about the fight?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s like this: soccer fanatics plus
alcohol. A fight starts. We break it up. Sometimes we call you good folks. That’s
the pattern. What isn’t the pattern is that a girl ends the fight.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Molina perked up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What girl?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Young woman with the blond kid. One of
the Hispanics coldcocked him and she tore into those guys big time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Describe her,” Molina asked, his voice
level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Little thing. Nice looking. Ponytail, jeans,
green top. She blitzed the three of them in about fifteen seconds.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Molina glanced at Stackhouse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yeah? How?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I wish I knew. I was behind the bar. Soon
as I saw them start pushing each other and cussing and the one guy throw a
punch, I headed over to break it up. By the time I got there two of the guys
had broken fingers on each hand and the third was limping out the door fast as
he could. The blond kid was out cold.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The girl did that? Are you sure?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Well, yeah. I mean I didn’t see it blow
for blow, but…hey, have you ever seen a cat go crazy, like on YouTube? I mean, they
can go nuts sometimes, right? One tears into you and in five seconds you need
twenty band aids. That was what she was like. Too fast to follow…but then you
see the results. Know what I mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You believe that?” Stackhouse asked
Molina as they left the bar. The girl was gone. Molina shrugged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I dunno. Maybe. The EMTs said each guy
had broken fingers. The third perp would have limped away for only one reason:
pain you know where. A drunk man wouldn’t have fought like that—too quick, too
efficient. He would want to dominate his opponents, put them on the floor, lord
it over them. Besides, did you notice that girl? Her blouse was pulled partway
out of her jeans. Messy. Girls on dates want ‘em just right.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Man! Have you ever seen anything like
that before?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Only in the movies.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.3in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet that girl's mother, your distant cousin</a>!</span></div>
Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-50279918961487806692015-02-16T21:27:00.000-06:002016-10-07T23:01:03.101-05:00Uh-oh! Presidential Advisor regrets not disclosing UFO files!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_clihIDTimqLpNvahDgYINiqj8mTCDQaaon0AolfusUwIvTfiNNTk_7uELnU6xc8wR6B4WOYJ1unuuVGHGg9jO9K6wLswI4UEbW00ak8fDa1iRz5K2Hs5-d03ROUHUaBEHDNtNUsF8Ms/s1600/AnaThumb34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_clihIDTimqLpNvahDgYINiqj8mTCDQaaon0AolfusUwIvTfiNNTk_7uELnU6xc8wR6B4WOYJ1unuuVGHGg9jO9K6wLswI4UEbW00ak8fDa1iRz5K2Hs5-d03ROUHUaBEHDNtNUsF8Ms/s1600/AnaThumb34.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Presidential advisor John Podesta has said his <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2953240/The-truth-Outgoing-Obama-aide-John-Podesta-reveals-biggest-regret-2014-failure-disclose-UFO-files.html">biggest regret</a> in 2014 was not disclosing the the truth about the existence of UFOs.<br />
<br />
Ana Darcy says "Whew! That was a close one!" <br />
<br />
The government knows that Ana is the first alien to have landed on Earth. So do many others, especially her<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin"> readers</a>. The government could probably locate her if they really tried. Readers will have to be content with knowing the general area where she lives. (Several have expressed a desire to have lunch with her. That is not impossible, but neither is it likely.)<br />
<br />
For now, Ana remains happily ensconced with her family. Mr. Podesta, it seems, is about to be sucked into another big round of politics, which is bound to be far weirder than an extraterrestrial woman.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana Darcy!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">Meet some who have met Ana Darcy!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/11/photo-mesilla-valley.html">Where does Ana live, really?</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/06/ana-cooks-fusion-chinesetexmexitalian.html">Are you telling me an alien tries to cook our food?</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/ana-darcys-favorite-poem.html">What? An alien has a favorite poem?</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/01/great-ana-darcy-shoe-quiz.html">You have pictures of her shoes? You do not! </a></div>
Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-37803922233322203862014-09-21T22:27:00.000-05:002014-09-21T22:27:14.273-05:00Early returns: what are readers saying about Two Worlds Daughter?Excerpts from readers at Amazon:<br />
<br />
1. This is an excellent continuation of the Distant Cousin Series. We've watched Ana come to Earth, cause some trouble, get into some trouble, settle down, get married, get into more trouble, have two wonderful kids, etc., etc. I've really enjoyed watching the characters grow and become part of my family. Al Past can really spin a yarn.<br />
<br />
2. Unbelievable! Just when I think the series has come to an end, wow!! another book that I can't put down but don't want the story to end! I just love the progression and growth of all the people involved in this book.<br />
<br />
3.Well worth the wait, this sixth book of the Distant Cousin series is great reading for a rainy Saturday afternoon, a snow day or just any day you want to escape into a cleverly created, thoughtful new world. Combining current headline news, cutting-edge science, tantalizing possibilities of future space travel and emerging technologies, along with the refreshing inside look at a warm Hispanic-Thoman family in New Mexico, the reader must ask, "Why aren't there more current books that give us such satisfying reading experiences?"<br />
<br />
4. For those of us who like South Eastern New Mexico and West Texas, Mr. Past depicted community life there admirably. I'm sure tourism has increased because of these books.<br />
<br />
5. I think this may be my new favorite of the series! I have read the Distant Cousin series from the beginning and have loved each one; I really feel that the Mendez family is my family too! I have watched Ana and her family deal with trials and tribulations and heartbreak, and come out stronger. I love watching the unconditional love, support and encouragement Ana and her husband give their children and I have enjoyed watching the twins grow up into amazing independent people. In this sixth book of the series, Clio manages to overcome some serious trouble with the help of her ex-Seal bodyguard. The science background is very interesting and seems to be meticulously researched (as usual),<br />
<br />
6.The main character, who is from another planet, and her children have a spiritual nature that makes you want to hold them close, the way a child hugs her doll. The action is swift and intense. I was on the edge of my (dining) chair the whole time until the last gulp that left me immensely satisfied!<br />
<br />
7. And now from a friend and fellow writer, first this:<br />
<br />
I'm really enjoying DC 6. In fact, one of the highest compliments I can pay to an author is the admission that I nearly missed my subway stop on the way to church yesterday morning! Of course I like all the characters and situations, etc. but the main thing is just that you know how to spin a story. That's really the bottom line for me.<br />
<br />
And then, later, this:<br />
<br />
Well, I'm pretty far along. Just finished the scene where Clio visits the old dying rich guy. I don't mind telling you my eyes misted up a little. Maybe even better test of a book than almost missing your stop is getting teary-eyed on the subway! Anyway, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I'll be sorry when I finish it. I do like the way you have all these different situations going on, and yet I know somehow they're all going to dovetail in the end.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/p/sneak-peek-chapter-1-of-distant-cousin.html">Read Chapter One</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana, the Extraterrestrial</a></div>
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<a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Distant-Cousin-Two-Worlds-Daughter-ebook/dp/B00J8UNZ7S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1396218491&sr=1-1&keywords=distant+cousin">Two Worlds Daughter for Kindle</a></div>
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<a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Two-Worlds-Daughter-Distant-Cousin/dp/1496131991/ref=sr_1_2_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396219375&sr=1-2&keywords=distant+cousin">Two Worlds Daughter in paper</a></div>
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Anna's Hummingbird (honest!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRKaBV9GB9nI6c4YljS6m_KPpg5ZAa9kWxmQD30WJW57Ka4FJNes8YmDW4Me7Wd0B4vdV9k_4mfLimK0xpWcHENYykTzqFOjf1z3HBdqUFN1x1G6pppwKKUhVel64ZfMDsafXE6IkDfj1/s1600/Annas+Hummingbird+Wikip.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRKaBV9GB9nI6c4YljS6m_KPpg5ZAa9kWxmQD30WJW57Ka4FJNes8YmDW4Me7Wd0B4vdV9k_4mfLimK0xpWcHENYykTzqFOjf1z3HBdqUFN1x1G6pppwKKUhVel64ZfMDsafXE6IkDfj1/s1600/Annas+Hummingbird+Wikip.JPG" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-14465947320753753162014-07-31T10:46:00.000-05:002014-07-31T11:44:51.963-05:00Distant Cousin a movie? It could happen! (PART 2) <h3>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Announcing the purchase of the movie and television rights to the Distant Cousin stories by an agent in Hollywood! </span></h3>
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The many readers who said they saw a movie playing in their heads while they were reading may some day get the chance to compare visions. Those who are not readers may come to see the fun they have been missing!</div>
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It's wonderful that an agent in the entertainment industry believes the Distant Cousin books would make a terrific movie. He also says the set contains enough material to supply a whole television series. As an extra plus, his wife loves the chronicles of Ana Darcy's family too!</div>
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There is no movie deal yet, to be sure. All the daunting caveats that were mentioned in<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/06/would-distant-cousin-make-good-movie.html"> Part 1</a> remain. Many, many steps must be completed before anyone goes to the theater.<br />
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BUT: note that the same advantages mentioned in <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/06/would-distant-cousin-make-good-movie.html">Part 1</a> also apply! We readers have a screen between our ears, perhaps the best screen there is--it enables us to enjoy our personal movie or movies any time we wish.<br />
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Best of all, for Kindle readers and readers using other e-devices, you can be reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">Distant Cousin</a> in one minute for less than the cost of movie theater popcorn. In fact, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">six volume Distant Cousin</a> set, a whole television season at least, can be enjoyed for about the cost of one movie ticket, a drink, and popcorn!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFcXzdyOOJk_fw2FmwiTg6N75E7YJSQ_TWmOYKkJM8WkKLaWzO78xgC6TJY-PTKe5RLtyZSdcCo8Vt-n0aTVU-vml2z5NFEr8a_3R6Dye-VuIpCQKDHoDa1d4fD_IxvUBR2yHSS7KZT2e/s1600/AnaThumb02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFcXzdyOOJk_fw2FmwiTg6N75E7YJSQ_TWmOYKkJM8WkKLaWzO78xgC6TJY-PTKe5RLtyZSdcCo8Vt-n0aTVU-vml2z5NFEr8a_3R6Dye-VuIpCQKDHoDa1d4fD_IxvUBR2yHSS7KZT2e/s1600/AnaThumb02.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a></div>
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For more information contact Jack Silver, Silver Management, 310-889-7939 or jack@silvermgt.com.</div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Have you met Ana Darcy?</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/06/would-distant-cousin-make-good-movie.html">Distant Cousin the Movie, Part 1</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2014/06/news-got-you-down-not-feeling-that.html">Why do readers love Ana?</a> </div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">Why do (mostly Kindle Board) readers say to the author, "You suck?"</a></div>
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Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-33949816499887718992014-07-27T19:56:00.000-05:002014-07-28T22:21:37.564-05:00What do a ten year old and a journalist have in common?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MWPAEwQA0Cxxz4yyLMcKXytd9pFwk4xlYq3oaYHnZdrkJsWQT0AFkgOk1JQKll3hmjrjtnlwMFShODMZXDiuY14G5nxPmvxNpF12mArVKzm51ksdVAXxyqpCfz6KyP3d0gtDIxX07nl7/s1600/Blog+Ana+Darcy+says+go+west.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MWPAEwQA0Cxxz4yyLMcKXytd9pFwk4xlYq3oaYHnZdrkJsWQT0AFkgOk1JQKll3hmjrjtnlwMFShODMZXDiuY14G5nxPmvxNpF12mArVKzm51ksdVAXxyqpCfz6KyP3d0gtDIxX07nl7/s1600/Blog+Ana+Darcy+says+go+west.jpg" height="117" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDA4KgCUih-1YjoaP1RWZiL0Lz0SQ2PJOMDPkw-DUvHRQz0iay5AMc__x_heOytk50uqF2x6ZZFRKV2BKTTntP8ajMY3y85HZR3SDmGtvl55HTqnq1Ib2Pi1Cb9GhVA81JidtNpPo4xf1m/s1600/Blog+WTX+p2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDA4KgCUih-1YjoaP1RWZiL0Lz0SQ2PJOMDPkw-DUvHRQz0iay5AMc__x_heOytk50uqF2x6ZZFRKV2BKTTntP8ajMY3y85HZR3SDmGtvl55HTqnq1Ib2Pi1Cb9GhVA81JidtNpPo4xf1m/s1600/Blog+WTX+p2.jpg" height="320" width="143" /></a></div>
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Both are fans of Distant Cousin, and Ana Darcy!<br />
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The column above explains how Ana's stories prompted the reporter and her daughter to vacation in West Texas, where they had a wonderful time seeing the McDonald Observatory, other places Ana has been, and some she has not been (yet). Quite a few readers have commented on how West Texas and southern New Mexico come alive in her books. Ms. Jackson goes on to say she's no sci-fi devotee, but that the Distant Cousin stories are "more a mirror in the face of humanity than a loving gaze at the stars," something<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/12/so-you-dont-like-science-fiction.html"> noted by other readers</a> as well. She also points out "there are government shenanigans. And there's treachery. And there's romance."<br />
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The ten year old, an avid reader and happy Kindler, found himself on vacation with quiet time to read before bed. As far as we know he is the youngest reader yet to enjoy Ana's adventures. The oldest fan is ninety-five. That's quite a range!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJNvguKKyzXSqpY-kPt6s5FnFidwG8S0VTC0VdrCpQq1p4cdEBDfHkXVxI89auY_5aRDE-RJs1DjMaetRNwYadpUVApX4zu57DxRSvhjVUDb6ih1Ao6PNdcC2muyeMi7JeCKoae6HpZVD/s1600/Ten+year+old+Kindle+reader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJNvguKKyzXSqpY-kPt6s5FnFidwG8S0VTC0VdrCpQq1p4cdEBDfHkXVxI89auY_5aRDE-RJs1DjMaetRNwYadpUVApX4zu57DxRSvhjVUDb6ih1Ao6PNdcC2muyeMi7JeCKoae6HpZVD/s1600/Ten+year+old+Kindle+reader.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana Darcy!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2014/06/news-got-you-down-not-feeling-that.html">Meet some fans of Ana and her family!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">Kindle Board members say "You suck!"</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">All volumes less than $3 for Kindle!</a></div>
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-89223935294353644442014-06-02T23:21:00.000-05:002014-06-02T23:21:09.564-05:00News got you down? Not feeling that great? Need a pick-me-up?<div class="MsoNormal">
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1. “Things have been extremely difficult around here…. The
adventures of the Mendez family provided a wonderful distraction. And the
ending filled me with hope, for some inexplicable reason. I love the warmth and
togetherness of the family.”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKbNhPz6e4N77fsPi_zi4Ef8sDn5UHYsBIWfYaYTcE0MpsfXSxfToXKXcQqOIG-tuBEIrqXoY38gFSQbBnuZD3NFE7YPPlVjv-9EhE4UyVUFTXTTkR8LUqC4Cc57V04au-HgqLsbKhfOs/s1600/AnaThumb13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKbNhPz6e4N77fsPi_zi4Ef8sDn5UHYsBIWfYaYTcE0MpsfXSxfToXKXcQqOIG-tuBEIrqXoY38gFSQbBnuZD3NFE7YPPlVjv-9EhE4UyVUFTXTTkR8LUqC4Cc57V04au-HgqLsbKhfOs/s1600/AnaThumb13.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Here are a baker's dozen comments from readers and reviewers of one or another of the six Distant Cousin books to date: the stories of the human extraterrestrial Ana Darcy and her family. Not only have many people have found them refreshing and uplifting, more than a few have come to think of the characters as members of their own families!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVO3cHFrQbm-qKZC7spSkODuO6GE9dOkyETCP_mg7iCd_5TUP7xJKwRyD_21-3CNjzGbWCsipT044DF1SumSyKsiJA_AWPWqJfH7jzg4aGW3MMzy-y6vyoIoPhZhCaGUxetaziKTsAJudw/s1600/AnaThumb08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVO3cHFrQbm-qKZC7spSkODuO6GE9dOkyETCP_mg7iCd_5TUP7xJKwRyD_21-3CNjzGbWCsipT044DF1SumSyKsiJA_AWPWqJfH7jzg4aGW3MMzy-y6vyoIoPhZhCaGUxetaziKTsAJudw/s1600/AnaThumb08.jpg" /></a></div>
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2. “Toward the end of this novel I found myself thinking I
was reading about my good friends and not some characters in a novel. I'm
hoping there is a 5th in the series, I'd like to know that my friends are OK.
This is a fun and exciting series to read.”</div>
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3. “We've watched Ana come to Earth, cause some trouble, get
into some trouble, settle down, get married, get into more trouble, have two
wonderful kids, etc., etc. I've really enjoyed watching the characters grow and
become part of my family.”</div>
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4. “It's always a pleasure to read a book where the
character is so fleshed out that I feel I would know him/her if I met them on
the street. Not only would I know them, I'd have invited them to lunch so we
could chat!” <o:p></o:p></div>
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5. “The books flow so easily you feel like you are a part of
the family. You want to be a part of the family. However I am so sad that I
have read the last one. My mom loved them and has read them all 3 times
already. I will be taking them on my
vacation with me so I can read them all again.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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6. “I stayed up and read the last half of DC4, really
enjoyed it. I love her kids! and that cat. I want that cat but no way I could
sneak it in past my neighbors LOL.... My sister wanted me to let you know that
she has read DC1-DC4 in less than a week. She really enjoyed them and said if
you weren't already writing DC5 she'd hunt you down.... We both were getting a kick out of Darcy and
Matt.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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7. “I love Darcy. I can’t wait to see what happens next. It
is indeed a page turner, a cute and funny book with lots of laugh-out-loud
parts.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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8. “Awesome!!! I am 3/4 through this book and am literally
dragging my heels about finishing it. I ration myself. The story and characters
are just so captivating.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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9. “I have truly enjoyed Ana's adventures. It leaves me
wishing I could meet her. I love how you bring seemingly unrelated things
together so neatly.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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10. “I like stories that focus on the characters, and not
around a central plot. It makes the characters seem more real and it's easy to
become emotionally invested in their well-being. How can you not like a story
when you are actually worried about the characters?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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11. “I would recommend the book to any of you who like
science fiction with some romance and adventure thrown in. No little green
men/women will be involved, but there will be characters about whom you will
care a great deal.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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12. ”A couple of huge successes that are excellent movies
are E.T. and Close Encounters. These have a strength of character and plot that
pushes your intellect forward while engaging your heartstrings at the same
time. Distant Cousin does it, too.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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13. "I loved the storyline for Distant Cousin. I fell in love
with Ana Darcy."<o:p></o:p><br />
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All at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=distant%20cousin&sprefix=distant+%2Cdigital-text%2C468&rh=i%3Adigital-text%2Ck%3Adistant%20cousin">Amazon</a>, inexpensively!</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana Darcy!</a></span></div>
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Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-50588678381241138242014-03-29T20:36:00.001-05:002017-12-10T21:20:27.387-06:00Distant Cousin: Two Worlds Daughter now published!<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Distant Cousin: Two Worlds Daughter is finally published!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Somehow (?), a friend of my wife learned of this: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">"AWESOME!!!!!!! I will download it on my iPAD* this weekend. DH and I are heading to New York city for some work and for some fun with B____ and family. AND I need my Distant Cousin nearby on the airplane :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">THANKS THANKS THANKS"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">An ER surgeon friend emailed at 4 a.m.:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">"Damn! The first chapter got me hooked (again). Hopefully I'll have the fortitude to wait till tomorrow to continue. I still have some work to do."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">That's the whole idea--></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">"I think that having fun is a social function.... I think about the reader who has to put up with these pages. He needs to have fun, he needs gratification; this is my moral. Someone bought the book, paid money, invests time: he has to have fun." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> --Italo Calvino</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.420400619506836px;">For those unfamiliar with Ana's stories, a quick intro:: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.420400619506836px;">"The most distinguishing trademark of Al Past's Distant Cousin books is their obvious similarity to some of Steven Spielberg's best movies. Ana Darcy is much like E.T. without the Disney cuteness or childhood orientation. She is an E.T.-type character for an adult audience. The sense of wonder we all had the first time we watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind is magically reincarnated. Reading all the Distant Cousin books is like playing a movie in your head. This is the way we want life to be. This is the way we want Americans to respond to aliens if they ever arrive on Earth. Life should always be like this." (Floyd M. Orr, PODBRAM) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.420400619506836px;">In the sixth tale of Earth's first extraterrestrial and her family, Ana Darcy Mendez finds herself on the other side of the world with her husband and children out of town, when both her extraordinary children suddenly face major life decisions--even deadly danger. We have all heard of teenagers who did things they barely survived, that shaped their characters--and that their parents never knew of. What sort of decisions will Ana's children make? And will their parents ever find out?</span></span><br />
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<b>Available for<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Distant-Cousin-Two-Worlds-Daughter-ebook/dp/B00J8UNZ7S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1396218491&sr=1-1&keywords=distant+cousin"> Kindle</a>, in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Two-Worlds-Daughter-Distant-Cousin/dp/1496131991/ref=sr_1_2_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396219375&sr=1-2&keywords=distant+cousin">fine trade paperback</a>, and Amazon UK in<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Worlds-Daughter-Distant-Cousin/dp/1496131991/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396219450&sr=1-3&keywords=distant+cousin"> paper</a>.</b></div>
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<b>Kindle edition $2.99 (free for Prime), $12.42 in paper</b></div>
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<b>NOTE! The Kindle editions are now $2.99. You can enjoy the entire set for less than the price of volume 1 in paper! See <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=distant%20cousin">Amazon</a>!</b><br />
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<b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8190214728357492416#editor/target=post;postID=3780392223332220386;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname">What are readers saying already?</a></b></div>
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<b><u>For more information:</u></b></div>
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<b>The covers make the Distant Cousin books look like <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/12/so-you-dont-like-science-fiction.html">science fiction</a>, but the author disagrees...mostly. </b></div>
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<b>Why would Kindle Board members tell the author <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">"You suck?"</a></b></div>
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<b> Why would another Kindle Board member say it <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/01/it-happened-again-you-suck.html">again</a>? </b></div>
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<b>What do <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/12/when-writers-write-writers.html">authors and writers</a> say about the books?</b></div>
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<b>What's the deal with the series' <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.htm">main characte</a>r?</b></div>
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<b>You can "Look Within" at Amazon for a few pages if you like, or you can read the <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/p/sneak-peek-chapter-1-of-distant-cousin.html">whole first chapter</a>, which sets the main story nicely:</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771"><span style="color: orange;">*Get Kindle apps free for iPad, iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Mac, Windows, & more!</span></a></b><br />
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To those who have enjoyed the books, and to those who discover them and enjoy them, please pay it forward and tell others. I'm a terrible messenger and anyway, I have more stories to write. Thank you so much!</div>
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Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-82313125624972400102013-07-17T22:29:00.001-05:002014-08-20T21:45:00.491-05:00Guess what? J. K. Rowling actually wrote Distant Cousin!OK, she didn't, actually.<br />
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But we were amused, along with probably thousands of other indie authors, to hear that <i>The Cuckoo's Calling</i> received some excellent reviews but sold only about 500 copies in the United States.<br />
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But then, of course, once it was revealed that the book was really written by J. K. Rowling, whose other books threaten to throw Earth out of its orbit, then it sold out immediately, and can't be printed fast enough. (The Kindle edition could not possibly have sold out--not possibly!)<br />
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So we are tickled to note that (1) <i>The Cuckoo's Calling</i> has earned an average of four stars at Amazon over 126 reviews...and that's with a big-league publisher, editors, marketers, and designers, and (2) tickled to note that the Distant Cousin books have a higher rating (100 reviews, even including a few "trolls"), and (3), tickled to note that Distant Cousin costs less than a third as much!<br />
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What a funny business book publishing is. But there are still some wonderfully entertaining books out there waiting to be found for those willing to experiment a little!<br />
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana Darcy</a> of <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">Distant Cousin</a></div>
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From a reader at the KindleBoards: <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2012/05/another-little-toot-of-horn.html">"<span style="background-color: #113355; color: #cccccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.203125px;">'I'm another one of the ravers. These are 3 soon to be 4 books that I can't imagine anybody not liking. There is something for everybody in them.</span></a>"Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-25251261212034615312013-07-08T08:02:00.000-05:002013-07-08T08:02:58.576-05:00Google salutes the Roswell alien but misses the real alien: Ana Darcy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZmwTw5_obrcq4Tnhp6mkxYDOJ_UVa76BLchjzbp6vVO0FYz4_lYnNGN6JVoCp5b_tmSdVPVfPUiIg5ZZ6V4_0UO8SoPcZE4Ql5T7WfVDQ9fG7cxWCFJ_0xjJpVHNT66GpFJtmFsk900V/s1600/Alien+Google+version.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZmwTw5_obrcq4Tnhp6mkxYDOJ_UVa76BLchjzbp6vVO0FYz4_lYnNGN6JVoCp5b_tmSdVPVfPUiIg5ZZ6V4_0UO8SoPcZE4Ql5T7WfVDQ9fG7cxWCFJ_0xjJpVHNT66GpFJtmFsk900V/s320/Alien+Google+version.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today only (July 8, 2013) the Google Doodle commemorates the alien crash incident at Roswell New Mexico of 66 years ago (and<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2013/07/ana-notes-roswell-ufo-festival-amusing.html"> the continuing festival</a> which celebrates it).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7S0H7Z36eYI0Aa7RuUhqcMy6mC-UpaaEE4UqjtsOA4t5V4QYOO_5hDrK7p61TYCCcPeN-o2crMXo-FjEmX_ebS6_wvYmCFMIzzQM_915m5s8a48r5_t0k0uurfdW0HVOY-IVRPwbk-C4/s1600/Alien+Google+version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7S0H7Z36eYI0Aa7RuUhqcMy6mC-UpaaEE4UqjtsOA4t5V4QYOO_5hDrK7p61TYCCcPeN-o2crMXo-FjEmX_ebS6_wvYmCFMIzzQM_915m5s8a48r5_t0k0uurfdW0HVOY-IVRPwbk-C4/s320/Alien+Google+version+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, Google has missed a more interesting (and more verifiable) alien. Her arrival and landing (in Texas, only a day's drive from Roswell), which bears some outward similarities to the cute little animated figure above, is told in <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/distant-cousin-volume-1_1614.html">Distant Cousin.</a> On the other hand, <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">readers have agreed</a>, her experiences are vastly more entertaining, cute as the Doodle may be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NZywz3jOs1eoGlwsEVvLGSHJPsaR704IB5wsao6F_3mSgm9hs6DIShmxY82qlkSSsamIqXoBH-V-rtyGlnccXuKsxofa33SvSygfEABhqZU-o23cIGwNFMaRwcTZ1n81qw9BLYETyAe4/s1600/AnaThumb18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NZywz3jOs1eoGlwsEVvLGSHJPsaR704IB5wsao6F_3mSgm9hs6DIShmxY82qlkSSsamIqXoBH-V-rtyGlnccXuKsxofa33SvSygfEABhqZU-o23cIGwNFMaRwcTZ1n81qw9BLYETyAe4/s320/AnaThumb18.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
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This is the perfect occasion to invite you to <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">meet Ana Darcy</a>, the first alien to return to Earth!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #113355; color: #cccccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.203125px; text-align: center;">Reader comment:</span><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html" style="background-color: #113355; color: #ffcc66; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.203125px; text-align: center;"> "What makes a book outstanding to me is that I am sad when I come to the ending and the characters stay with me for a long time after reading. This series is one of the few that is on my "Must Read" list when others ask me for book recommendations."</a><span style="background-color: #113355; color: #cccccc; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.203125px; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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In case the Google Doodle above is not cataloged somewhere, clicking on it on July 8, 2013 produced<a href="https://www.google.com/#q=Roswell%20UFO%20incident&oi=ddle&ct=roswells_66th_anniversary_-1984005-hp&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.eWU&fp=5d598f5d8cd6734a&biw=1062&bih=710"> this search.</a>Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-32875775122926425852013-07-05T19:36:00.000-05:002013-07-05T19:38:09.452-05:00Ana notes the Roswell UFO Festival: amusing but not impossible!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18BPgkiDWPg-EADkPS1CTJA94FGfTx0dIQO8P0kYi3lOnKbQRpwyimlNpVXxf2ZHt2Ig3SmPv1k44vPuRoVxErs40MkFE8kX7m8SAwB77n1Nc_9pV1NTppoD4tCo7VXIGGniOHBnnko0l/s1600/Roswell+Paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18BPgkiDWPg-EADkPS1CTJA94FGfTx0dIQO8P0kYi3lOnKbQRpwyimlNpVXxf2ZHt2Ig3SmPv1k44vPuRoVxErs40MkFE8kX7m8SAwB77n1Nc_9pV1NTppoD4tCo7VXIGGniOHBnnko0l/s1600/Roswell+Paper.jpg" /></a></div>
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The 66th anniversary of whatever it was that happened near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 is being observed now at the Roswell UFO Festival. Something crashed on a ranch near the town, and what with one thing and another it got blown up into a huge alien "first contact" controversy.<br />
We won't review the history. Most people are familiar with it. If not, you can look it up at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_UFO_incident">Wikipedia</a>, and check out the festival <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/04/roswell-ufo-crash-66th-anniversary_n_3543058.html?ref=topbar">here</a>.<br />
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Ana Darcy, our <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/distant-cousin-volume-1_1614.html">Distant Cousin</a>, neither believes the "crashed and hidden alien" story nor thinks it ridiculous. For one thing she is, after all, an alien who came to Earth, and before 1947, in fact. She was born and grew up on a planet 25 light years away, and in fact came here in a manner not unlike the putative alien or aliens who crashed.<br />
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For another thing, her people still tell the story of their transposition from Earth to Thomo millennia ago. They KNOW there are aliens out there, or were: they've long since lost track.<br />
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So Ana doesn't find this legend nearly as silly as some of us do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSgIjFtOz9D2mFunHYpurg3P5gUtzHf0-kj_zwl7NRnKh4JzeJEeTZKWzprzPhKsKPaX0qbHx3bHtHpEbWw2BO391u6JBw3WY44Qn5hhouiy8oIIgEmYEwqCROjmpOG_Sm0nkaKs52-6d/s1600/AnaThumb02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSgIjFtOz9D2mFunHYpurg3P5gUtzHf0-kj_zwl7NRnKh4JzeJEeTZKWzprzPhKsKPaX0qbHx3bHtHpEbWw2BO391u6JBw3WY44Qn5hhouiy8oIIgEmYEwqCROjmpOG_Sm0nkaKs52-6d/s200/AnaThumb02.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Versus</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sDmVGtngr2RfbhBIhVOgnkzm-rfaCHB87C1hL1SIrzwcTKepiG4i7rodaZlhAWoO__UsuXzp6tnVqF6qoKdXe0vP-lajCvVysHOtmR_6sqjKbouLtAUfAZ478r8hfiLQD5Wnq77YmGaH/s1600/Alien2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sDmVGtngr2RfbhBIhVOgnkzm-rfaCHB87C1hL1SIrzwcTKepiG4i7rodaZlhAWoO__UsuXzp6tnVqF6qoKdXe0vP-lajCvVysHOtmR_6sqjKbouLtAUfAZ478r8hfiLQD5Wnq77YmGaH/s200/Alien2.jpg" width="88" /></a></div>
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If you'd like to see what Ana first saw on Earth, it's <u><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/pictures-ana-darcys-first-sights.html">here</a></u>.</div>
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If you'd like to learn a bit about OUR winsome alien, it's <u><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">here</a></u>.</div>
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If you'd like to know why two readers have told Ana's chronicler "You suck!" that's <u><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">here</a>.</u></div>
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From a reader: <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/10/refreshingly-different-and-reader.html">"Refreshingly different. What a nice surprise 'Distant Cousin' was - quite unique. It has humor, moves along at a pleasant pace, and...I found myself smiling the entire time I was reading it.</a></div>
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-56849259025767136492013-07-03T22:11:00.000-05:002013-07-05T20:00:30.899-05:00Why doesn't Ana know how old she is?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Ana Darcy, our <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/distant-cousin-volume-1_1614.html">Dista</a></span><span style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/distant-cousin-volume-1_1614.html">nt Cousin</a>, has never been able to say exactly how old she is. There are, as she has been known to state in several of her chronicles, just too many variables. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOnrAcR4s9vsbLCwxeEojZjOFXUhLwPGRs201N-pfnoxQ0Y1O39z6T9dB39hAbdhZ6hVEHH-03-rOYYt9_TQIXKCsZ0ntTBczFdu1c_HE1JvjZTWfMVKhWo462QWil__WT_LvekjyodDI/s800/Gliese_667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOnrAcR4s9vsbLCwxeEojZjOFXUhLwPGRs201N-pfnoxQ0Y1O39z6T9dB39hAbdhZ6hVEHH-03-rOYYt9_TQIXKCsZ0ntTBczFdu1c_HE1JvjZTWfMVKhWo462QWil__WT_LvekjyodDI/s320/Gliese_667.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First, her home planet, Thomo, has days (and years) slightly different from ours. More importantly, Ana traveled twenty-five light years to return to her people's planet of origin, Earth, and she did so mostly at the speed of light.<br />
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As we know, Albert Einstein was the first to point out that time slows down as speed increases. Ana's interstellar vessel took approximately a year to accelerate to roughly 96% the speed of light, which it maintained until it began slowing down, taking approximately another year to do so.<br />
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A physicist friend tried to answer the question of how that might affect Ana's age by imagining twins, one traveling between Thomo and Earth, and one staying behind, and comparing the relative difference the traveler experiences. His answer is below. (He thanks Wikipedia for its help. let us note.)<br />
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If you are math-challenged, as Ana's chronicler is, this will seem like Greek to you, and you are excused. If you are adept at mathematics, then this might answer the question that even Ana cannot figure out, as good at math as she is.<br />
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<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
Difference in elapsed time as a result of differences in spacetime paths</h2>
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The following paragraph shows several things:</div>
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Let clock <i>K</i> be associated with the "stay at home twin". Let clock <var>K'</var> be associated with the rocket that makes the trip. At the departure event both clocks are set to 0.</div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd>Phase 1: Rocket (with clock <var>K'</var>) embarks with constant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proper_acceleration" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" title="Proper acceleration">proper acceleration</a><i>a</i> during a time <i>T</i><sub>a</sub> as measured by clock <i>K</i> until it reaches some velocity <i>V</i>.</dd><dd>Phase 2: Rocket keeps coasting at velocity <i>V</i> during some time <i>T</i><sub>c</sub>according to clock <i>K</i>.</dd><dd>Phase 3: Rocket fires its engines in the opposite direction of <i>K</i> during a time <i>T</i><sub>a</sub> according to clock <i>K</i> until it is at rest with respect to clock <i>K</i>. The constant proper acceleration has the value −<i>a</i>, in other words the rocket is<i>decelerating</i>.</dd><dd>Phase 4: Rocket keeps firing its engines in the opposite direction of <i>K</i>, during the same time <i>T</i><sub>a</sub> according to clock <i>K</i>, until <var>K'</var> regains the same speed <i>V</i> with respect to <i>K</i>, but now towards <i>K</i> (with velocity −<i>V</i>).</dd><dd>Phase 5: Rocket keeps coasting towards <i>K</i> at speed <i>V</i> during the same time <i>T</i><sub>c</sub> according to clock <i>K</i>.</dd><dd>Phase 6: Rocket again fires its engines in the direction of <i>K</i>, so it decelerates with a constant proper acceleration <i>a</i> during a time <i>T</i><sub>a</sub>, still according to clock <i>K</i>, until both clocks reunite.</dd></dl>
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Knowing that the clock <i>K</i> remains inertial (stationary), the total accumulated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proper_time" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" title="Proper time">proper time</a> Δ<i>τ</i> of clock <var>K'</var> will be given by the integral function of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinate_time" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" title="Coordinate time">coordinate time</a>Δ<i>t</i></div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd><img alt="\Delta \tau = \int \sqrt{ 1 - (v(t)/c)^2 } \ dt \ " src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/d/5/1/d510aaecf3128787a38520e1a4645933.png" /></dd></dl>
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where <i>v</i>(<i>t</i>) is the <i>coordinate velocity</i> of clock <var>K'</var> as a function of <i>t</i> according to clock <i>K</i>, and, e.g. during phase 1, given by</div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd><img alt="v(t) = \frac{a t}{ \sqrt{1+ \left( \frac{a t}{c} \right)^2}}." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/1/0/a/10a2be8ad01c1524ce472f34e4647d69.png" /></dd></dl>
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This integral can be calculated for the 6 phases:<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_paradox#cite_note-21" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">[15]</a></sup></div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd>Phase 1 <img alt=":\quad c / a \ \text{arsinh}( a \ T_a/c )\," src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/a/1/0/a10006516c04955b7cf00e298a074db7.png" /></dd><dd>Phase 2 <img alt=":\quad T_c \ \sqrt{ 1 - V^2/c^2 }" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/5/4/d/54df65b5bd66fb2001842c2a8d850470.png" /></dd><dd>Phase 3 <img alt=":\quad c / a \ \text{arsinh}( a \ T_a/c )\," src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/a/1/0/a10006516c04955b7cf00e298a074db7.png" /></dd><dd>Phase 4 <img alt=":\quad c / a \ \text{arsinh}( a \ T_a/c )\," src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/a/1/0/a10006516c04955b7cf00e298a074db7.png" /></dd><dd>Phase 5 <img alt=":\quad T_c \ \sqrt{ 1 - V^2/c^2 }" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/5/4/d/54df65b5bd66fb2001842c2a8d850470.png" /></dd><dd>Phase 6 <img alt=":\quad c / a \ \text{arsinh}( a \ T_a/c )\," src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/a/1/0/a10006516c04955b7cf00e298a074db7.png" /></dd></dl>
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where <i>a</i> is the proper acceleration, felt by clock <var>K'</var> during the acceleration phase(s) and where the following relations hold between <i>V</i>, <i>a</i> and <i>T</i><sub>a</sub>:</div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd><img alt="V = a \ T_a / \sqrt{ 1 + (a \ T_a/c)^2 }" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/4/a/c/4ac96335a231328d9978fed5d750e57a.png" /></dd><dd><img alt="a \ T_a = V / \sqrt{ 1 - V^2/c^2 }" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/6/8/b/68be9d5aa327395a919fcb697070730f.png" /></dd></dl>
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So the traveling clock <var>K'</var> will show an elapsed time of</div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd><img alt="\Delta \tau = 2 T_c \sqrt{ 1 - V^2/c^2 } + 4 c / a \ \text{arsinh}( a \ T_a/c )" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/3/d/1/3d19eaf17b87a24e104bad751579dbf4.png" /></dd></dl>
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which can be expressed as</div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd><img alt="\Delta \tau = 2 T_c / \sqrt{ 1 + (a \ T_a/c)^2 } + 4 c / a \ \text{arsinh}( a \ T_a/c )" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/4/a/d/4ad9ba9cdca836a8b888329a3353fc90.png" /></dd></dl>
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whereas the stationary clock <i>K</i> shows an elapsed time of</div>
<dl style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><dd><img alt="\Delta t = 2 T_c + 4 T_a\," src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/e/4/e/e4e912535638faec65972fdbee348d7b.png" /></dd></dl>
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which is, for every possible value of <i>a</i>, <i>T</i><sub>a</sub>, <i>T</i><sub>c</sub> and <i>V</i>, larger than the reading of clock <var>K'</var>:</div>
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<img alt="\Delta t > \Delta \tau\," src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/9/e/1/9e1bce6d582066ab2f6f1c0390454cdf.png" /></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html"><span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: #eeeeee;">Ana Darcy? Who is Ana Darcy?</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/pictures-ana-darcys-first-sights.html"><span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: #eeeeee;">What did she first see when she landed on Earth?</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-ana-darcy-mendez.html"><span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: #eeeeee;">What does Ana say about her native planet and people?</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/03/anas-native-language-luvit-examined.html"><span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: #eeeeee;">What is her native language like?</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: #eeeeee;">What's unusual about Ana's notion of <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/bilingualism-and-ana-and-matts-children.html">language</a> and <a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/06/math-education-and-ana-darcys-children.html">math</a> education?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: white;"><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/05/sampling-of-mexican-american-dichos.html">What are some of the dichos that helped Ana learn Spanish</a>?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #0b5394; color: white;">A reader writes:</span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #0b5394; font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html">Very well written and includes interesting tidbits about foods, scenery, events, etc which add to the story. I found it hard to put down and then thinking about the story while doing other things. Loved his writing style and imagination.</a></span></span></dd></dl>
Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8190214728357492416.post-7046075006982356052013-06-21T21:54:00.000-05:002017-10-14T22:55:41.114-05:00Ana finds a poem about perspective: distance and light make anything artistic!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8gPoUZc_W4OOqB9ZrrTveHAG2dWkrSjYl3F0IX8qkowBEU1kuyvUIJpHSbpYe1bTagPF_Ijf5c2nj416DKcOJ-17f3LokaGLPlqvxN_lBKfMQRu4LOoXAQHjrKjVC312lc0n0uSVeZCv/s1600/smear12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8gPoUZc_W4OOqB9ZrrTveHAG2dWkrSjYl3F0IX8qkowBEU1kuyvUIJpHSbpYe1bTagPF_Ijf5c2nj416DKcOJ-17f3LokaGLPlqvxN_lBKfMQRu4LOoXAQHjrKjVC312lc0n0uSVeZCv/s320/smear12.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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Ana's husband Matt has no problem agreeing that his wife, who traveled here from another planet, after all, knows a great deal more about perspective than he does. He readily understood Ana's instant liking for the poem "Distance and a Certain Light," by May Swenson.*</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5tCSOCRnaocrSLGmheS8k7MuQ9KY1Hg5mWdt9r1LtAy98TpUM_nGfpFqC84PjGruoAR7wbmop-W-uTlR1S7znpzcUGdWSVT1yhWxmqHSu5owIOKVuqzq0KZ0GcoVeDKJRqhW6981v14U/s1600/smear14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5tCSOCRnaocrSLGmheS8k7MuQ9KY1Hg5mWdt9r1LtAy98TpUM_nGfpFqC84PjGruoAR7wbmop-W-uTlR1S7znpzcUGdWSVT1yhWxmqHSu5owIOKVuqzq0KZ0GcoVeDKJRqhW6981v14U/s320/smear14.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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Consider: in the news these days (June 2013) is that one of our interplanetary probes is going to take a photo of Earth from Saturn this coming November. People who follow such things cannot wait to see how Earth, the "blue marble," might look from the rings of Saturn--it's a matter of perspective, isn't it? It will be a perspective we've never had before, like the famous photo the astronauts took of the Earth from the moon.</div>
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Ms. Swenson's poem goes beyond the obvious, however: junkyards, garbage barges, rubbish dumps, can all look lovely from the right altitude. In fact, the poem points out, many an ugly, decomposing thing can be charming, as under a microscope, for example. The poet does not mention it, but Ana well knows that even the planets and stars are not permanent: our bodies, in fact, are made from elements produced in stars, and very likely will end up going around again in some form or other. The people of Ana's planet celebrate this cycle. We can too!</div>
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*<a href="http://rachaelmarierenton.blogspot.com/2013/06/distance-and-certain-light-may-swenson.html">"Distance and a Certain Light," by May Swenson</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/12/poem-about-caring-for-others_26.html">A poem about caring for others</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/03/poem-about-gravity-and-some-heavy.html">A poem about gravity, and the center of things</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2010/10/anas-favorite-puzzle-poem.html">A puzzle poem: what is this about?</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/mysterious-cat-poem-about-jeoffry-from.html">A mysterious poem about a mysterious cat</a></div>
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See many more in the column on the right, under the LOVE sculpture--></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2011/04/distant-cousin-watch-trailer.html">Meet Ana, the extraterrestrial who loves (some of) our poetry!</a></div>
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<a href="http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/10/cue-horn-toot-toot.html"><span style="background-color: #113355; color: #cccccc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.203125px;">From a reader: </span><span style="color: #aa77aa; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #113355; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.203125px;">"Things have been extremely difficult around here....The adventures of the Mendez family provided a wonderful distraction. And the ending filled me with hope, for some inexplicable reason. I love the warmth and togetherness of the family."</span></span></a></div>
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<br />Alhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094931968951455626noreply@blogger.com0