Serial Commercial to Promote Book

Random House will air a series (trio) of commercials promoting Dean Koontz's upcoming Odd Thomas novel... Brother Odd (on shelves November 28th).

This isn't the typical advertising for books, I believe the fact that the commercials are promoting a book isn't revealed until the third and final installment.

Looks like one of his recent novels, The Husband, has sold movie rights to a studio, so I hope to be able to see that sometime in the not too distant future.

I've Finished my CAD Salary Survey!

~collapsing into chair~ Alright! The numbers are in! I've just turned over the initial CAD Salary Survey Results to the AUGIWorld Staff! The data is now in their capable hands. I won't go into details, but, I will tell you that you can expect something TOTALLY DIFFERENT from this year's AUGIWorld spread in the January/February 2007 issue. All the same great info as before... and then some.

Remember to check out the website afterwards to download all of the data/information that wouldn't fit in the magazine. (I'm sure you did this for 2005 right?) Any Autodesk product user can take part and benefit from the results... Architects, engineers, drafters, designers, interiors, planning, surveying, facilities management, semiconductors, manufacturing designers, piping and mechanical/electrical/plumbing/fire protections designers... there is something for all of you!
Whether you have a high school diploma, an associate's degree, a bachlor's degree, a master's or a doctorate, you can find out what others with your education and experience are really earning in your region!!!

I'm sure many of you have noticed Robert Green's CAD Manager Survey initial results on CADalyst. Since we all love to do our research and confirm our findings, I'm sure you're curious to know if the AUGI Survey reports the same average annual salary for CAD Managers as Robert's Survey...

Well well well, I guess you'll just have read your AUGIWorld magazine, now won't you? ;)

Seriously, all participation is appreciated, members turned out in record numbers to report this year. That's just fantastic. I hope once you see what AUGI has in store for you, you will spread the word and add to it next year.


Now, I won't be back to forum-hopping and blog-posting as normal just yet. I've got some more work to do before the Leadership Seminar, for Local Chapter leaders, at Autodesk University. I'm swamped at the office and trying to put out fires before I leave the Midwest for eight glorious days! I cannot wait for some of my Facilities Management practices and FM Desktop classes at AU, as well as the course on using Revit for FM. Wow, a really great lineup! Some more icing on the cake, Joseph Wurcher informs us that AU handouts will be distributed on DVD AT AU!

National Novel Writing Month

Alright, I want to do it... I'm not sure if I can, but, I've accepted the challenge:

To write a 50,000 word novella in 30 days. Starting November 1st.

Tomorrow there is a regional kickoff at a local Panera store. So, hey, at least it is an excuse to have a coffee and something yummy from their bakery. I have been reading some of the posts in their forums, especially from the St. Louis area, and there seem to be some really cool and interesting people in there.

It's cool reading comments from people with such a love of words and language! Lots of different backgrounds... students, accountants, engineers, biochemists, teachers, lawyers, ministers, historians, a mortician (wow), national guard, graphic designers and librarians... AND THAT'S JUST FROM ST. LOUIS! Wow what a dynamic group!

So, writing a genre novel will be a little different from my typical tech articles, but, I really hope I will have time after the AUGI CAD/Design Salary Survey to participate!

Hmm, I wonder if I can work Building Information Modeling and Facilities Management (BIM/FM) into a story-line somehow? ~pondering~

Crime and Punishment/Crime and Literature?

Check out this story in the NY times about this awesome juvenile detention center program. The program is called 'Literature 'n Living'. The teenaged prisoners were encouraged to read books written by people who had grown up like them. They wrote book reports, and their instructor sent them to author's and got some to come and speak with the kids. In return for finishing books and writing reports, they're given special meals, contact visits with their families and special attention from these famouse authors.

Great program.

Poem Review: An Anthology

Title: A Child's Eyes
From: Melanie Perry
Cost: free - so far ;)

Alright, the books I've read today are my own poetry journals from back in high school. Some of what I've written is utter carp, some is treacly, some is excrutiating to read. :( But, even I must admit that some of it is good. I stumbled across one which I actually had published at age 17. It was a proud moment, the first, and thankfully not the last, time I saw my name in print. I will save that one for another day, though, if I so decide to subject you to it. I should find a link to the publisher.

I chose one to share with you, and I think, simply because I enjoyed the thought and the theme. I am a parent of a small child now, and my sense of wonder and boundless possibilities has been renewed by that. I wrote the below when I was working 70 hours a week as a Supervisor at Hardee's and was about to begin my first semester of college. Share your reaction and opinions with me, if you please. Just please, do not repost this or pass it on without my permission.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy.

I mourn for the loss
the endless day, the fearless night
those innocent games
the dreams of all the things I might

Remember when things moved in Black and White
when everything was either good or bad
When every new person was a potential friend
& I never realized all I had?

Back when really important decisions
were all up to someone else
back then my life wasn't ruled by a clock
and I could be better than what fate had dealt

Never hampered by reality's weight
my dreams were as real as day
as long as I thought it would happen
I knew I'd find a way

I sometimes long for the delusions
that hid the world's imperfections
I wish for an ignorant bliss
of all of this world's deceptions

When all the love I had was unconditional
and I could forget as well as forgive
back when my mom still knew everything
and it was not a miracle just to live

08-07-1998
~m.stone

Overall Rating: Not Terrible

Yeah. That's about all I can say.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read - 9/23/30 - Banned Book Week

My husband (gee, ya think he knows I like to read ;) ) sent me a link today talking about Banned Books. The article recommended checking out Google Book Search.

This page lists books whose presence in libraries around the country has been challenged.

I'll mention some of my favorites that I've seen scanning through the list, and can't imagine being denied the opportunity to read them (most in high school, some in college):

Catcher in the Rye
1984
Lord of the Flies
Grapes of Wrath
Of Mice and Men
Brave New World
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Gone With the Wind
The Call of the Wild

Good stuff there... maybe I should check out the rest of the books on that list, which I haven't yet read.

Book Review: Intensity

Title: Intensity
From: Dean Koontz
Cost: $7.99 paperback, $20 hardcover, $40 audio cd

The story starts out with two friends, Chyna Shepard and Laura Templeton, driving to Laura's home on a college break. I don't know if it matters, but, they were psych majors.

After a great time with the family, they head to bed. Someone breaks into the home and... well, to not ruin the suprise, does some very bad things.

Chyna is trying to escape and jumps into his motorhome... where she finds a photo of a young girl.

She becomes determined to rescue her. Why does she stand up to protect this girl? Because of her troubled and scarring past.
When Koontz delves into the Chyna's past, which she grudgingly shares with her best friend, it is so compelling. Shocking, and yet, believable.

The story rockets along, giving on brief rests, but, you don't take them, because you just HAVE to turn the page and find out what happens next.

This is purely a mystery. Delving into the human psyche, and situations/characters possible in the everyday world.

Perhaps that's why I didn't care for it too much. Because I identified with too much of it? or because I could picture it happening just as he's laid it out, and it's awful to contemplate?


Overall Rating: Good

The reviews published in the front of the book are apt.

Koontz redefines suspense. Intensity is a coiled spring that winds ever tighter... A novel about catharsis, about the power to wreak change and to do good as well as evil. There are sound undercurrents in Koontz's work, and they run deep. - London Times

A pin-you-to-the-chair tale of suspense, with a protagonist who is possibly the best female character yet in the thriller genre. Classy... swiftly paced, and as largely and sharply detailed as an IMAX movie. - Austin Chronicle

I could go on, but, you can find those reviews anywhere... check it out, I think you'll enjoy the thrill.

If you've read this book, chime in and let me know what you thought about it.

Reading Challenge - Help Rebuild

I saw a post today about helping to rebuild libraries ruined by Hurricane Katrina last year. Find links on this page telling you how to help rebuild these libraries.

From 'Romance Novel Reviews' "School libraries in the Gulf region are seriously hurting, because they are a “lower priority among philanthropists than public libraries,” though school libraries are struggling to rebuild their collections as well. Further, school libraries are funded through individual school boards, which are also pressed with the absorption of new students from other communities, and the rebuilding of their own physical buildings.Since there’s no shortage of paperback donations winging their way to the Gulf region, Candy and I thought we’d focus on the children’s libraries and reading programs that need help, and specifically, the green paper donations that make a difference directly. Here’s a list of a few organizations that can help get children’s books back in the Gulf region"

All You Need is... to Show your Love! - Love Thursday

Another blogger (Karen) has posted a blog tag on her site.

The challenge? Make a blog post with a photo showing love...

My choice is the below photo.
My husband of 6 weeks, Mike, our son and niece playing together. My little guy and I spent a couple weeks over in England this spring with Mike and visiting his family before he moved over here with us. We had a fantastic time, and the two-too-adorable little ones had a great time playing with one another.

















(see, I bet you thought I was going to go the easy route and post pictures from my wedding, didn't you?)

Book Review: Lightning

Title: Lightning
From: Dean Koontz
Cost: $7.99 paperback, $4.99 audio cassette, ~$20 used hardcover

This book was originally published in 1988. And, about 5 years afterwards, this was one of the first Koontz novels I read (Icebound being the very first).

I adore this story. It is touching, and full of hope, and tragedy, and love, and unimagineable loss, and growth, and scarring and justice for... most.

The book opens on a dark and stormy night (although not in those exact words ;) ), where we see an inebriated doctor being held at gunpoint so that he won't oversee the delivery of a little girl named Laura Jean Shane.

When Laura was 8, she and her father were saved from an armed robber by a mysterious man.

Multiple times throughout her life, Laura was rescued from some sort of trauma by the same stranger.

She was always a loner, having lost her loving father before her teens (her mother having died during childbirth), making a couple close friends during her years at the orphanage. She found a wonderful guy during college and they married and had a child. All was happy for her again...

Then, after over a decade since their last encounter, the man appeared again.

I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read the book.

You should have the chance to get to know and love Laura and her father Bob, the Amazing Ackerson twins, her husband Danny Packard and their son Chris and Thelma's husband, Jason.

And shudder with revulsion at Dr. Markwell, the burglar/assaulter, the Eel, the foster parents and the mysterious men with slight accents who show up with guns.

And... wonder about the mysterious man, Stefan Krieger.

Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he want to help Laura? How was he able to know when and where to come to her aid on so many occassions?

Will she, a novelist, be able to protect her loved ones?

Learn along with Laura; Learn to edure, Learn to fight, Learn to accept.

I'm not sure how to classify this novel... mystery? yes. intrigue? yes. love story? yes. tragedy? yes. inspirational? yes. science fiction? ...

Overall Rating: Excellent!

Dean Koontz crafts a convincing story with his words. This is just mysterious enough, and tragic enough, and hopefull enough to keep you turning pages long into the night.

If you've read this book, chime in and let me know what you thought about it.

Movie Review: The Safe Side (for Kids)

Title: The Safe Side
From: John Walsh, Julie Clark
Cost: $19.99 (USD)

Alright, the first review on my book review blog is going to show you... a children's safety video Through the Eyes of Dorkness!

On a quasi-regular basis, I visit the Family Watchdog site to check for the presence of Convicted Sex Offenders near the places that my son lives and visits regularly. The last time I was there, I noticed a link claiming to help me protect my child. It was a link to purchase The Safe Side video.

Since my son (very gregarious by nature) has recently experienced a leap in his verbal communications, I thought that it was an appropriate time to introduce him to additional safety lessons (I give the constant talks about people, animals, and places that we don't know, but, of course, I always worry that 'professionals' will have a better way of reaching him than my words alone).

I thought, well, for $20, it couldn't hurt, and I'm helping to support a good cause.

Well! I will certainly say this, my son LOVES this video. The Safe Side Super Chick really kept him engaged. There were simple cues to help the child know about the situation she was in (green shirts for safe, yellow shirts for unsure and red shirts for dangerous). She was wacky but, the situations she walked the kids through were in-depth, but, presented simply so that I really felt my son understood them.

It adds another layer to the 'Stranger Danger' teachings of my day. Instead of just strangers, a child is taught how to properly reckognize and react to 'Don't Know's' and 'Kinda Know's', which I think is important.

The first time he watched the video, I sat with him, he didn't have many questions, but, I wanted to be sure that I was accepting of, and able to reinforce, the ideas taught during the program.
He was very proud to know the answers that the Super Chick asked, and afterwards, I gave him one of the Safety badge stickers that came with the movie.

He asks to watch it over and over again, so I really hope this sinks in.

Overall Rating: Excellent!

I recommend this video (geared at children in gradeschool) for parents wanting to open up a dialog with their child, or just find new ways to reinforce safety tips taught in the home.

Finally Settled on a Blog Name

I love reading. I love books.

I've been been blogging since April of 2005, but, it's been mostly work-related (CAD/Facilities Management/FM/Autodesk/etc). I wanted a place just to share my thoughts on the books that I read.

BUT! I wanted to keep a bit of a theme.

I'm a dork.

I named my first blog Mistress Of the Dorkness and my second one, The Love Dorkter.

So... the best one I could come up with was 'Reading in the Dork Ages'. But, while somewhat apt, just didn't have the right feel for me. I picked some brains, and finally someone came up with the idea of using a Dean Koontz title... as he's my favorite author, and has been since I was an adolescent.

So, I did a run-through of titles on my shelf, as well as old magazine article titles that I found on the web, and here are the ones where I've substituted Dork for either Dark or Door.

Dork Rivers of the Heart
Dorkfall
The Eyes of Dorkness
The Dork to December
One Dork Away from Heaven
The Dork of Summer
A Dorkness in My Soul
Dork of the Woods
Dork Symphony
Down in the Dorkness

I must say that Dark Rivers of the Heart is a book of Koontz's that I've always been drawn too, reading it annually as I do the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But! The Eyes of Dorkness just seems to pop out to me, and I believe I can get across that you're viewing the books Through the Eyes of Dorkness...

So... join me on my journey through literature... we'll be touching on a lot of Koontz, the book I'm finishing now is by David and Leigh Eddings, I have most John Grisham novels, I also like some historical books (but, only if they're really entertaining), as well as some classic literature (call me nuts, but, I love Crime and Punishment and will be reading it yet again).

I will spare you in most cases from my most voracious reading habbits... ie... the ones I read to my 3-year old son. He ADORES being read to, and I'm eager to jumpstart his reading skills and hope this helps. He's also started a new daycare, which does a really great program that keeps the students involved instead of just shoving boring repetition down their throats. His favorites change on a semi-regular basis, but, now that he's learned the sounds going along to all of the letters, he's eager to go through again his Sesame Street ABC series. If you'll follow this link you'll see a reason why this particular set is so cool (in addition to the obvious), it's a floor-sized puzzle!
While the little top and bottom of some of the puzzle pieces where they link together have gotten a little worn, with close supervision, this can be kept to a minimum.


I'm enjoying this time I can spend reading to him, whether it is one of his books, or when he climbs into my bed and asks me to read from mine (the last set was the Chronicles of Narnia). I know that in a couple years time, he will be reading totally on his own, and will likely regard it as a solitary pursuit. How do I know this? Because it happened with my Mother. She read to myself and my sister when we were small, but, sometime around kindergarten, it suddenly became more attractive to read the things by ourselves. I also recall that we used to play Scrabble and Boggle all the time... until my sister and I were about aged 7 and 9... and we started beating Mom at every game. After that it was just the two of us competing, and Momma calling from her desk to ask how to spell something.

Well, I think I've rambled on far enough for my first post. Please come back and share your thoughts and feelings about what I've read.