Solar Getting So Cheap It's "Astonishing"

KEN KORCZAK

It increasingly looks like the Solar Age is beginning and our long relationship with fossil fuels may finally be coming to an end.

What's really going to make it happen is money.

A lot of people like the idea of an energy that doesn't create greenhouse gases, acid rain, smog and all the rest -- but the absolutely only thing that will drive large scale change among the public is cost.

If it means more money will stay in their pockets, people will adopt solar on a large scale.

That now seems to be happening. The cost of solar energy is plummeting to rapidly, energy and financial analysts can only on with amazement.

See my article here, and my latest attempt to "shame" my local power cooperative which is still addicted to its coal industry masters.

GOING SOLAR -- GOING CHEAPER

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How You're Getting Robbed By the Sugar Racket

KEN KORCZAK:

The history of sugar production is violent, dreary and dismal. There are endless tales of slavery, greed, death, environmental destruction and a lot of rotten teeth along the way.

Sure much has changes but the sugar industry of America today is still a disgrace. It's robbing the American taxpayer blind. Billions of dollars are being siphoned out of the U.S Treasury and being given over to a few wealthy industrialists and an all-knew class of wealthy sugar beet farmers.

Here in my neck of the woods we have American Crystal Sugar, the biggest sugar processor in the nation. It commands about 15 percent of the U.S. Market

Crystal Sugar made headline here recently by defaulting on a $71.2 million government loan -- and the company CEO said "that was the plan from the beginning."

See my story here: THE SUGAR RACKET

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Quantum Theory: You Have to Keep Thinking About It

KEN KORCZAK:

Many years ago when I was a boy I found a book in our small-town library called "Relativity for the Millions" by MARTIN GARDNER. It was an attempt to explain the bizarre concept and implications falling out of Einstein's theory of relativity. The book was among about a half-dozen similar books that caused me to become a part-time theoretical physics junkie for life.

If you're like me -- that is, not a genius -- then the concepts of quantum mechanical science can be nothing less than mind-numbing. They present endless paradoxes, things that seemingly "can't be." The quantum scenario gleefully takes a wrecking ball to the basic world view we are comfortable with -- that of the now 300-plus-year-old mechanistic "billiard ball" universe of the great Isaac Newton.

I have found over the years that frequently revisiting some of the most difficult concepts of quantum physics helps me gain deeper understanding over time. Even when you find that you can grasp something intellectually, it's still can be vexing to absorb it psychologically. For example, it goes against our feelings of common sense to think that something can have a dual nature -- such as a particle existing both as a singular "object" and a "waveform" at the same time.

Anyway,I just finished reading another excellent book which discusses the implications of quantum theory -- it's "TAL: A Conversation With and Alien." See my review here: A QUANTUM DISCUSSION

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Space Opera Lives ... And Lives... And Lives ...

KEN KORCZAK:

It's incredible to think that space opera has been around for at least 100 years now.

The term "space opera" was coined in 1941 by a science fiction fan by the name of Wilson Tucker. Tucker would later become something of an author in his own right. Labeling a certain kind of SF "space opera" was not a compliment, but a denigration of what Tucker considered an inferior form of the genre.

Tucker defined space opera as "hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn, spaceship yarn."

But today space opera is still going strong. It is a standard sub-genre of science fiction, and there are plenty of new authors who are undaunted about "grinding out" what certain snooty literary types might dismiss as "hacky" stuff.

As for me, I don't like hacky, formulaic space opera much either, but I wax philosophical about it. If there's a market for it, if a demographic enjoys reading it, and if a writer can make a few bucks -- what's wrong with that?

Anyway, here is my book review of a new space opera offering by Canadian writer Chris Reher. SPACE HUNTER

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She Makes $500 a Month on Amazon Mechanical Turk

KEN KORCZAK:

Is it the new "American Bangladesh" or a godsend for struggling U.S. citizens who need extra cash to supplement their incomes?

I'm talking about crowdsourcing jobs. Today, if you have a computer and an Internet connection you can jump online to anyone of dozens of sites and starting "working tasks" for pennies apiece. I recently interviewed a woman living on a health disability and welfare. She thinks the $500 a month she earns on Amazon Mechanical Turk is "a lifesaver."

It makes me wonder. This woman works about 35 hours a weeks, and in a "good month" nails down $500. By my math that works out to a little better than $3 an hour -- but she often falls short of her goal. At times, she figures she is pulling down $1 to $2 an hour.

The question is: Is this what the American Dream has come to -- when earning $1 to $3 an hour is considered "a great thing"? Some people would say, "She's just allowing herself to think like a poor person." But others would say: "It's the best situation she can get into right now."

Read my story; tell me what you think: MY LIFE AS AN M-TURK WORKER

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It It Really a Secret?

KEN KORCZAK:

If you want to sell a lot of books, certain words in the title help you along. Among the most powerful two title words are "How To". Another good one is "secret." The Secrets of Weight Loss Revealed! The Secret Money-Earning System! The Secrets of a Happy Marriage!

In fact, I have published my own book with the word "secret" in the title: SECRETS OF A GRANT WRITER.

And let's not forget that recent mega-bestseller: "The Secret"! That book had a really good run -- that is, until everyone found out that "The Secret" did not work. Millions of readers separated from their cash by book publishers realized that simply materializing piles of gold, cash and a new Mercedes purely with mind and visualization power isn't quite so easy after all.

Anyway, I digress. I have just completed my reading and review of another book that promises to reveal a secret -- The Secret of Metaphysical Science by Dr. Andrea Scarsi. See my review here: SECRET SCIENCE

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Frederik Pohl: Good-Bye to Another Science Fiction Legend

KEN KORCZAK:

The great Frederik Pohl has died. He was 93. Pohl probably deserved his title of "Science Fiction Grand Master" more than any other of the genre. That's because he was far more than just a writer of stellar science fiction; he was an extremely influential editor, but even before that, Pohl was a "super fan."

Pohl was intimately involved in the early development of the "science fiction scene" among the pulp publishing industry centered in New York City. He formed clubs, developed conventions, published obscure newsletters and fanzines -- he did it all. He was immersed within and passionate about science fiction. Science fiction was his life.

As a result, Pohl probably knew everyone there was to know in the business, and not just the great writers and editors. It would be difficult to name any other man who had a greater effect on the way science fiction came to be what it was, and what it is today. I believe Pohl's influence was even greater than editor John W. Campbell.

I still remember years ago reading the book considered Pohl's masterpiece -- Gateway -- and being swept away by this marvelous and innovative piece of fiction. The same goes for another of his books, JEM. It's a masterful work.

I also had a chance to meet Pohl once at the World Science Fiction Convention in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Imagine my delight! The year was 1994. I was strolling down a hall of the convention center. Coming toward me from the other direction I espy two very old men -- one with a full head of ashy gray hair. The other guy was shiny bald with a fringe of snow white. They looked like a couple of escapees from a nursing home -- yet there was a bounce in their step, a gleam in their eyes -- they looked spry and happy! An aura of enthusiasm surrounded them.

I immediately recognized the bald man with a pronounced limp as Frederik Pohl. I was starstruck! I didn't recognize the geezer who was walking beside him, but as they come closer, I saw they were wearing name tags. The tag of Pohl's companion identified him as none other than Hal Clement! Wow! Clement was the 17th man to earn the honor of being named Science Fiction Grand Master. His real name was Harry Stubbs.

Pohl's death comes just a few months after that of another science fiction mega-great, Jack Vance, who died at age 96. See my review of Vance's last book, his autobiography here: JACK VANCE.

Also, if you want to listen in on a fascinating radio interview featuring both Pohl and Vance, check this out: POHL-VANCE RADIO CHAT.

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Here's my latest book review, and it's a rave

KEN KORCZAK:

I love reviewing books. That's why I read more than 100 books per year, or about two per week. Last year I plowed through 127 books.

I especially like reading first-time writers and "Indie" publishers. Today thanks to electronic publishing anyone can publish a book -- and it certainly seems like anyone and everyone does. Of course, that means the gazillions of pages of schlock and plain old bad writing is clogging up Kindle Direct Publishing over at Amazon and lots of other sites.

Thus, when I discover an incredible gem, such as Prophets of the Ghost Ants by Clark Carlton -- well, it's a thrill. I think this first-time author is destined to be picked up by a major publisher; he may even get a movie deal. This book is that good. See my review HERE

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Harness Your Dreams to Make Money

KEN KORCZAK:

Perhaps everyone dreams of getting rich, but can the actual dreams you experience at night make you rich -- for real? The answer is clearly yes.

History is littered with examples of fantastic breakthroughs and new inventions that came to people in dreams. The modern sewing machine, the invention of insulin for diabetes, even the oil fields beneath the sands of Kuwait -- that's right -- they all are the result of dreams.

The questions is, can you take an active part? Can you take proactive action to harness the power of your dreams? Are their steps or methods that will dramatically increase your chances of having a "dream idea" that will make you rich? Read my article here: DREAM AND GROW RICH

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Yes, I have a Facebook "Fan Site"

KEN KORCZAK:

Sure, I have both a Facebook page and a Facebook "fan page." Everyone has to be in the social media game, after all.

My fan page is called "The Nothing Chamber," and if you want to know what that's all about, well, it's a long story, and I won't go into it here. Let's just say there is a lot of "cosmic issues' discussed on my site, which is also a sort of nonaggresive "stealth" way to bring some attention to my ebooks.

Anyway -- why not pay a visit? -- and maybe even give me a "like."

CLICK HERE FOR:THE NOTHING CHAMBER

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How to Turn Yourself Into a Genius?

KEN KORCZAK:

Can you take some kind of action right now that will make you a genius? Maybe you are already a genius -- after all, you're here reading my blog. (har, har).

But seriously, folks, is there a known, tried and true, time-tested way to increase your IQ to a significant degree, even if you don't achieve "genius level?" For example, how would you like to be 25 percent smarter than you are right now?

The fact is, I think there is a good way to do this. This is something I have known about and written about extensively in the past. If you want to learn more about a method that may significantly increase your intelligence, see my article here:

INCREASE MY IQ

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PULP FICTION

KEN KORCZAK:

Man I love PROJECT GUTENBERG, the first and original free ebook site, created by the creator of the ebook himself, the late Michael Hart.

And then the Kindle came along! The stage was set for old science fiction wonks like me to find reams of schlock -- science fiction pulp classics (and not so classics) for the taking!

Browsing the cyber files of Gutenberg is like panning for gold. You never know when you are going to score an incredible, forgotten SF golden nugget.

Unfortunately, you also have to wade through a lot of crapoola -- works of science fiction that never deserved to be reincarnated in the wacky afterlife of online libraries.

Case in point: See my review here of CREATURES OF THE ABYSS.

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Amazon reviewer calls my ebook "Outstanding"

KEN KORCZAK:

It's always nice to get a positive review, even if it's short and sweet. In fact, maybe short and sweet is better than an in-depth review ... I don't know ... but I digress.

I was thrilled to see a 5-Star review of my ebook, THE MAN IN THE NOTHING CHAMBER earlier this week. Hey! I'll take what I can get. This little ebook, which is actually a long short story, has been selling well ... and it has to at a price of .99 cents. That's because my cut is 35 cents! You have to sell a lot of ebooks at that price before it adds up to even some gas and grocery money!

Anyway, here is what the reviewer said:

"I generally despise short stories (due to their total lack of actual STORY) but Man in the Nothing Chamber is outstanding."

Ahhh ... thank you!

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Popular British web site picks up my article this week ...

KEN KORCZAK:

One of my favorite web sites, UNEXPLAINED MYSTERIES has picked up the first of my popular series of articles on a phenomenon unique to Minnesota -- sightings of bizarre creature which the Native Americans call "Wendigo."

It is something out of Algonquin myth and legend -- or is the Wendigo something that is real? When the first white settlers arrived in northern Minnesota they saw the creature, too. Just follow the link below to read my article on this fascinating apparition of the north woods.

MYSTERY OF THE WENDIGO

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Kill the honeybees than buy our fake industrial sugars

KEN KORCZAK:

We all have heard plenty of late in the media about the ongoing crisis in the world of bees -- as in millions of them are dying off. They call it colony collapse disorder. Although an exact cause has yet to be pinpointed, all the science points to a combination of toxic farm chemicals being dumped into our environment by Big Ag Chemical, Inc., and Big Corporate Farmer, LLC.

Here in the Red River Valley the honeybee has been "declared dead" in some parts, and many bee keepers have given up and moved their hives west.

This is a deplorable and deadly situation that may have grave consequences for nothing less than all civilization -- but do we have the political, economic and social will to reverse course? See my story here:

KILLING HONEY BEES

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Mayo Clinic doctors saw Bigfoot in Minnesota?

KEN KORCAK:

For several years I wrote a popular column that was running in more than a dozen newspapers throughout Minnesota. It was called "Minnesota Mysteries" and it explored tales of the strange and unexplained. These stories and more were later combined into my now popular book, MINNESOTA PARANORMALA.

My column and book today prompt a lot of calls, many of the anonymous, from people who have had their own encounter with the bizarre. A case in point is the story I have linked below -- a man claims that two doctors of the prestigious Mayo Clinic found themselves literally face-to-face with Bigfoot on a camping trip in northern Minnesota. The year was 1965.

Check out this amazing story: MINNESOTA BIGFOOT ENCOUNTER

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Local electric co-ops are shills for the coal industry: Change is a must.

KEN KORCZAK:

I'm in a constant state of criticism of my local source of electricity, which is a local power co-op here in northern Minnesota. My beef? They get most of their energy from coal. But worse that that, they actively lobby against and refuse to consider adding clean solar energy to their power supply mix.

When the Minnesota legislature recently enacted a tiny 1.5% solar energy mandate for all utilities in the state, rural electric cooperatives balked, lobbied for an exemption, and got one. It's an outrage. Pollution from coal is warming the planet, and also depositing mercury into Minnesota lakes and showing up in our fish -- and that's just for starters.

These guys need to change -- period. See my story:

DEATH BY COAL

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It's summer slide show time!

Photo by Ken Korczak

KEN KORCZAK:

Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses -- or in my case, the wildflowers of Minnesota. please click the link below to find my slideshow of some of the amazing natural plants which grace my northern prairie-forest transition zone.

BEAUTIFUL NATIVE PLANTS

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