tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17049365663105301092024-03-05T00:28:41.867-08:00The Write StuffPorter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-87457957637451791562017-01-02T15:08:00.001-08:002017-01-02T15:09:00.391-08:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-31755850365458043532016-02-18T12:41:00.000-08:002016-02-18T12:41:33.913-08:00What Kind of Author Do You Want to Be?I find that one of the problems I am faced with in writing is that my attention wanders. I am interested in so many things that it is really hard sometimes to narrow my focus and actually get one thing done well. I'll be working on a project and think "oh- you know what would make this better? If it was a steampunk!" Then a few days later inspiration hits again, and now I have to include elements of a secret society and a diabolical plot to rival that of The Da Vinci Code. And later still I found a way for my steampunk society to coexist with dinosaurs....<br />
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Ok, so I am not going to completely apologize for the conglomeration of things that I think are cool, because, well, I think they are pretty cool. However, it illustrates a point. Sooner or later you have to decide which ideas belong to this project, and which ideas need to go to the file where you keep ideas on the burner for another work. </div>
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Similarly, you come to a point where you have to decide what you are going to write. Not because you can't write from every genre, but because by narrowing your focus you get more done, and the stuff that you get done is usually going to be better in quality. </div>
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So what kind of author do you want to be? Visualize it. What does it look like? What does a day of work look like? Be specific. The more specific you are, the more details you include, the more likely you will be to build that vision. That is the secret to success. </div>
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Once you have that vision, develop a laser focus. Commit to living as though the vision were already a reality. Wherever possible, keep to the routines and do the work that you envisioned yourself doing. If you maintain that focus long enough, you will change, and you will become the person that you want to become. </div>
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And hey, you just might write a few steampunk political thrillers with dinosaurs in them along the way. </div>
Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-47729884737206641342015-04-20T15:50:00.000-07:002015-04-20T15:50:01.874-07:00The Last ShipIt seems there is no lack of post-apocalyptic dystopian disaster television shows and movies and books to choose from today, what with The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Walking Dead, Contagion, etc.... The list goes on. Dystopian disaster stories are very popular right now, and it's no wonder when you look at what the aforementioned titles have done for the genre as a whole.<br />
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That being said, I'm always reluctant to branch out and explore new programs, books, or movies that deal with a subject that is deemed "popular" by society. I've been hurt by you before, publishing industry. The booksellers, commercials, and trailers said it would be, but it wasn't. I still shudder thinking about horrible reading or viewing experiences that seemed to have gone through no more of an editing process than, "Hey, this looks just like that, let's throw it out their and tell everyone it's just as good. They won't know the difference.<br />
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We know. Believe me, we know.<br />
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So, it was with some trepidation that I decided to give The Lost Ship a try. And, almost surprisingly, I wasn't disappointed.<br />
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Oh sure, it's a little rough around the edges, there're some plot holes that don't make sense, the budget may be lacking in areas, and heaven knows that the rules behind the plague are baffling. I mean, it's airborne, but walking outside makes it ok to take off your mask?<br />
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Those minor points aside, it's really pretty enjoyable. I feel like I did when I started getting into Battlestar Galactica.There's a very fun and exciting sense of impending doom that keeps moving the plot forward. In the case of Battlestar Galactica it felt as though I were living through the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor. That sense of dogged determination met with defeat at every turn, upset plans, assuming you could get them going at all, all tied up by the wonderful sense of camaraderie that we are in this together. In The Last Ship, I find this sort of cathartic experience to be akin to a lost world story, but instead of finding a hidden world, there's a Planet of the Apes staring at the Statue of Liberty in the sand moment that brings it home that the world itself has changed, and what you thought you knew, you didn't.<br />
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I've really enjoyed the first few episodes on hulu and look forward to many more. If you're on the fence about watching this show, don't be. Just watch it. It's cheesy in places, but it's also fun in places, and it does it's job of carrying you along for a ride in the world it's created. What more could you ask for from a story?<br />
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As to writing, I feel like my plans to continue have been met with obstacle after obstacle. Not that it's all bad, quite the contrary, most of the obstacles have been placed there by my awesome job and I wouldn't trade the experience. But I have been doing some pensive, inward style thinking of late and decided that it's time to start moving on getting my work published and on producing new content and works. To that end, I am beginning a new project that I am very excited about. I am in the outlining portion of the work now, planning on finishing that by the end of April. After that I will go full boar into completing it as soon as possible. I may post some things here, so watch for those, but I will be in need of Alpha and Beta readers. If you are interested please let me know in the comments section. As to the genre, I can tell you it will be epic fantasy/steampunk, and that's all I'm going to say for now. More to come, check back later.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-21380110335191730172015-04-07T15:04:00.001-07:002015-04-07T15:04:59.851-07:00ArizonaFor those of you who don't know, I recently relocated to Arizona for work. This is a big move for me, and perhaps an even bigger move for my little family. Through it all though, I have to say that I am excited to be here. To that end, I thought I'd liven things up with a top ten reasons to live in Arizona that I've discovered since moving in February. So buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride.<br />
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<li>No Daylight Savings Time. Do I really need to say more?</li>
<li>London Bridge, yes, the real London Bridge, is in Lake Havasu, AZ. </li>
<li>Hunting Camels is prohibited. Camel lovers, rejoice. At last, a safe haven for America's roaming camel herds.</li>
<li>It is illegal to manufacture imitation cocaine. The real stuff though, that must be ok.</li>
<li>There is a corner in Winslow, AZ, where if you drive by you will see these guys:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li>Arizona is known as one of the driest states with the warmest temperatures, despite having the water from seven states pour through the Grand Canyon.</li>
<li>The world's largest flowering rosebush resides in...you guessed it...Tombstone, AZ. At last, we know what that business at the O K Corral was all about. </li>
<li>A misdemeanor committed while wearing a red mask qualifies as a felony. Iron Man, Daredevil, and Flash, beware.</li>
<li>If you melted down the dome on the State Capitol Building, you could make 4,800,000 pennies with the copper. Also true, if you did so, it would cost you more than 4,800,000 pennies.</li>
<li>And finally, it is illegal for donkey's to sleep in bathtubs. Just don't. You don't want to know. </li>
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Arizona really is a great place to live and we're very happy here. I know that summer is just around the corner, and I've been told by every Arizonan that I will hate it, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. More updates to come. </div>
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Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-71505665950777562532014-04-26T22:24:00.000-07:002014-04-26T22:24:37.455-07:00The Secret to Parenting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was making my monthly rounds around the Facebook scene today and something got to me. This is something that I find amusing, and usually I just let it go, but for some reason the stars are in alignment and I feel like going on a tangent tonight. So here goes.<br />
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I see all the time on Facebook the comments of people talking about other people and their kids. They are full of advice, correction and judgement. Additionally, those of us who are parents likely all know someone who is always willing to tell us what they will do when they have kids. They have a plan of action that will yield results that you could duplicate in any lab. And, those of us who are parents, smile knowingly and if we really like them, we hand them another shovel.<br />
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Here's the point I'm getting at. Those who don't have children of their own have no idea how to best care for someone else's kids. Those who have children of their likewise have no idea how best to care for someone else's kids. This is because even those who have their own children do not really have any idea how to best care for their own children.<br />
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Parenting is a learning process. Their is no instruction manual. There is no magic plan that will yield the same result, time and time again. The reason for this is simple. We are all different. Our society embraces it. The hipster group that so often is willing to voice their opinion on how other people should raise their kids holds this fact up like a banner. And so why is it that we can't seem to understand that children are all different as well. There are unique challenges that must be overcome, and that is what parenting is. It is the ability to adapt to all of the unique situations that each of their children may present to them, and to prepare them for life and for success, using love as a guiding force.<br />
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So the next time that you see a parent dealing with a child throwing a tantrum, or hear a child screaming or throwing a fit in a store, stop and think before offering to solve all of their parenting problems.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-6333449624863041052014-02-09T13:24:00.000-08:002014-02-09T13:24:06.728-08:00Change of Pace2013 brought with it a number of changes in my life, almost all of them good. At the beginning of 2013 I was running a truck for Zerorez, a revolutionary carpet cleaning company. I was making good money, but it was hard work. I was working 5 days a week and 12-14 hrs per day. On top of that, I was finishing up my degree in accounting, working ever-faithfully towards the goal of getting my bachelors. <div>
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In March things changed. I was given the opportunity to put my new degree and education to use by handling the accounting, human resources, and safety(OSHA regs) for the Salt Lake base. It was a great learning opportunity. There was a lot, particularly in the matters of human resources, that I did not know going into the position but was able to acquire through on the job training. Overall it was a great opportunity. </div>
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In November I was then given the opportunity to stretch again, and since that time I have been the Production Manager at the Salt Lake base. For those of you who don't know what it is that a production manager does, think of it like the person responsible for the tactical implementation of the strategic directive from the General Manager. </div>
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It has been a wild ride, and one that has sapped my time. I love my new position, and find myself thinking of ways to improve things all the time. </div>
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And that might be a problem. </div>
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I've felt unbalanced through the months of December and particularly January. I couldn't put my finger on it initially, but I think I may have stumbled across the problem. I've been lacking a balance in my work and personal life. </div>
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My wife, who has always had to put up with me working long hours and has always supported me is used to me being submerged in work. But as I have thought about this more and more, I think that it's true. I need to refocus and achieve balance in my life. </div>
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Great. I nailed it. That was easy. Oh, wait. I just assessed and end result that I needed to achieve. I don't really have any concrete action plans to bring that to pass. Well, crap. </div>
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I think that will be my focus this month. I recently finished reading 11 Rings by Phil Jackson. It's a wonderful book about leadership, but also one that is fresh with insights for living and helping others to live a more balanced, productive, and effective life. There are a couple of other books that I am reading and I will have a week trip to Pheonix to try to clear my head and re-center myself. </div>
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One thing that I have noticed is that as I keep up with this position, and dive into the prospect of getting my Master's Degree in Accounting, and struggle to find enough time to play with my kids and treat my wife to a regular date night, and get ready for the newest addition to our family... you get the idea. I'm busy. It's a good busy. But one thing that has completely fallen by the wayside is my writing and drawing. I'm a little sad about that. I still love to do it, but there is just not time in my day. </div>
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So that may have to sit on the back burner for the next few years. I'm not thrilled at that prospect, but I think that I have made my peace with it. I still intend to keep up with it from time to time, as I will continue to post on this blog, but I think for now my focus has to be elsewhere, and that's ok. </div>
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Perhaps I've rambled a little long and gone in and out of some subjects in a confusing fashion, but I think I'll tie it all back together and end with a line from one of my favorite books, Blood Rites by Jim Butcher:</div>
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"Life is a journey. Time is a river. The door is ajar." </div>
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Thanks for reading.</div>
Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-67436339451920284482013-12-07T09:26:00.001-08:002013-12-07T09:26:46.460-08:00Dexter- The EndThose of you who know me know that I am a huge fan of the Showtime TV Series, Dexter. Initially I was a tough sell. None of the advertisements caught my attention and I didn't know what it was about. Finally my wife told me it was supposed to be about a serial killer who only killed other serial killers. I was intrigued by the idea and took a chance and purchased the first season. By the end of the first season I was sold.<br />
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It didn't happen all at once. Dexter's sister, Deborah Morgan, was probably the one that had me contemplating throwing the DVD's out the most through that first season. She was such a neurotic mess and the fact that she had to drop an F-bomb every other word grated on me.<br />
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The funny thing is that as the show went on, I began to realize that the neuroticism and sailor's language was actually endearing for her character. I felt real empathy for a character that was that messed up, I couldn't help but cheer for her. By the end of the series she was by far my favorite character.<br />
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Season after season I have felt like the writing has pushed boundaries, surprised me, and left me wanting more. I have been absolutely amazed at the quality of storytelling that the writers at showtime have come up with. Until this last season.<br />
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I don't want to beat up on the season too badly. By all accounts, it was a good season. But I think that was my issue. It was good, not great. It didn't surprise me. It was a good ending, and, looking back on it I wasn't surprised because it ended in about the only way it could have at that point, I think. So did it deliver on it's promise? Yes. I know there were some that were hoping for a happy ending, but really, it's a show about a serial killer. What did you expect? Again, I think it ended in the only way that it could have. I just wish that there was something that could have been done to give this last season more punch. I felt like it went out with a whimper, which is not fair for a show of this caliber.<br />
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Fellow Dexter aficionados, what are some favorite moments from the show? I'd love to hear from you.<br />
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Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-55482384707312233722013-08-07T13:34:00.000-07:002013-08-07T13:34:10.675-07:00The Walking Dead #18SPOILER ALERT!!!<br />
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There, having said that, let's get to the business at hand.<br />
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I am a late-comer to the Walking Dead craze that is gripping the nation. It's not that I don't enjoy a good zombie show- I do- and let's be honest, it doesn't get much better than The Walking Dead.<br />
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No, I came into it largely by accident. I stumbled into the Blue-Ray for sale at Best Buy and begged, pleaded, and otherwise cajoled my wife into watching it with me. This went on for a while until I think I finally ended up guilting her into it for my birthday.<br />
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The TV show was great, and really it deserves it's own post, and I'll probably get there when I start watching season 4 in October. Maybe I'll plan a running commentary or something like that. But the long and the short of it was that I loved the show. And, loving the show and already loving graphic novels, well, it wasn't long before I had to read the whole series.<br />
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And I did. Last night, to be precise, I finished #18 of the paperback reprints which catches me up(at least for the paperback editions). I love what this story is doing with the genre. I love a good scare, and who doesn't, but it seems that The Walking Dead is doing so much more than that. I've found that when I watch a zombie movie I get into it, get to know the characters, and just as I'm ready to grab my shotgun and jump on board for some brain-exploding action-poof. The climax of the show is reached and I'm left thinking that it really could have been a lot better. It was just getting started.<br />
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Adapting the focus from horror to drama has been at the root of WD's success in my opinion. Giving us compelling characters and exciting story lines, as well as showing us moving character arcs and hey, throwing in suspense and scares the whole way are all part of the magic. Robert Kirkman has done a magnificent job of blending an otherwise (let's be honest, ridiculous idea ie. zombies) and making it accessible to a much wider audience. And he has done it with great writing.<br />
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There are a few things that are drawbacks for me. I wish the artwork was different, maybe full color, but I understand the choice and respect what it does for the tone of the series. I know a lot of people love it, and I don't dislike it, but it's just a personal preference. Language is another. At the risk of getting a ton of emails saying that I'm being a prude and free speech and artistic licence and all that other stuff, I'm just going to come out and say it. It may be true that some people speak like that. In the characters themselves it rings true, so I don't criticize the choice to put it in. All I'm saying is that the profanity is a little more prolific than I would normally like to read. So if you are thinking of reading these, keep that in mind, although, in this genre, you should kind of expect it.<br />
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#18 specifically was a fun issue. In it we join Rick in Washington in his little walled community in the wake of Glenn's death and the subsequent surrender of the town to the domination of Negan and the group called "The Saviors". Rick is down but not out and you have the definite feeling that he is planning something. Also in this episode we see Carl turning more and more into a psychopath. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's been through a lot. And he's a pretty bad @$$ little guy, but I'll be honest, he's the character in the whole series that most creeps me out. By the way, side question: Is there anybody besides me that thinks that Carl in the books is 100 times cooler than Carl in the show?<br />
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Anyway, the story here is about Carl. After being ashamed of his dad surrendering to Negan, he hides in a truck with an M-16 and rides back to Negan's hideout. He jumps out of the truck and, surrounded by 30-40 people just starts blowing them away after making the demand they give up Negan. He's eventually knocked to the ground and captured. Negan brings him up to his room and tries to humiliate him. When asked what he thinks Negan should do with him, Carl responds, "If I were you, I'd jump out of the window to save me the trouble of having to kill you." Like I said. Bad. @$$. And more than a little scary. The artist, Charlie Adlard, really manages to get the eyes down so that they legitimately creep you out.<br />
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I won't spoil everything. The ending isn't much of one. Rick gets Carl back in a way that makes you feel like Negan is just luring Rick into a false sense of security. Randomness abounds in the last pages as suddenly we learn of "The Kingdom", another community, this one dedicated to the fall of Negan. They have armored knights and even a King with a pet tiger that made me more than a little jealous. It's as though a group of LARPers stumbled out of the woods and discovered the world had ended and decided to keep playing. Still, it's fun, I'm looking forward to see where it goes.<br />
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Overall, the series is a solid 4 stars, and that's the rating I give to #18. Could have been better, but not by much.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-41772537467346678492013-08-05T20:11:00.000-07:002013-08-05T20:11:01.014-07:0042Those of you who know me knew I would eventually get to this one.<br />
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I love baseball. I know, there are a great many of my friends that have told me that watching baseball is akin to watching paint dry in slow motion while waiting for buffering to catch up to a youtube video. But I love this game. There is something magical about the green of the outfield, the course dirt of the infield, the pacing, the excitement, and yes, the heroics.<br />
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Jackie Robinson is one such hero. Not only was he a great athlete. Not only did he do incredible things with his talent, not the least of which was his lightning-speed. But he did them while facing a storm of racial prejudice and unfair slights and insults.<br />
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42 is the story of Jackie Robinson as he battled uphill against the odds with the help of Branch Rickey, played by Harrison Ford, to break the color barrier in major league baseball.<br />
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Overall I was blown away by this movie. Great story, artistic cinematography capturing the action of baseball, and great acting. This flic has it all.<br />
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There's really not much more I can say other than this is an extremely enjoyable film, even if you are not a baseball fan. Harrison Ford does a fantastic job as Branch Rickey in a performance worthy of an Academy Award. All of the actors do a great job and it is just a fun movie. 4 stars.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-54187597708615774512013-07-28T21:35:00.001-07:002013-07-28T21:35:55.740-07:00Finished With the Move The week has finally come to an end. At work we have spent the last week moving our base from Little Tia Juana in Murray down to a much nicer location in Draper. Hopefully gone are the days when I will have to worry that when I come out to go home in the afternoon I will find pieces of my car missing. In that sense at least, victory. Yay!<br />
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On the other hand, I have spent the last week trying to run my office out of boxes. Needless to say, this has worked, but not particularly well. This week will be dedicated to getting back into the routine, getting caught up, and generally trying not to lose any more hair trying to get things to go right.<br />
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On the bright side, the new office is great. I have a 32" TV for a computer monitor and a wireless keyboard, so I can quite literally sit on one end of my office and see the computer screen on the other end no problem. All in all, the move was a great thing and a long time coming, but I'm glad that it's over.<br />
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Schoolwork meanwhile has been wearing on me after I get home. I'm in the home stretch of getting my bachelors in accounting and right now I'm going through my least favorite subject, Federal Income Tax accounting. Two more weeks of that and then on to something else.<br />
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I'm trying to get into a routine that will allow me to find time to write again. I've been so busy that it's easy to justify that I don't have the time, but the truth is that I haven't made the time. I'm probably starting up again with my completed YA novel, Dead in the Water, which is in need of a revision but otherwise close to me being able to submit it. More on this to follow.<br />
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That's all for now. I've watched a couple of movies lately, I'm going to try to get reviews of them up this week. Until then, have a great week!Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-77539224208404071822013-07-17T12:22:00.000-07:002013-07-17T12:22:17.363-07:00Fragments by Dan Wells I just finished Fragments by Dan Wells. This is the second book in the Partials sequence published through HarperCollins Publishers.<br />
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Initially I was hesitant to pick up this book. I had read Partials, and while the idea intrigued me the story left me a little flat. It could have been me, I <i>had</i> just finished reading Stephen King's The Stand, after all, and perhaps the apocalyptic disease story processing center of my brain was in overload. For whatever reason, however, it disappointed me and I was reluctant to continue the series. I even reread the I Am Not A Serial Killer trilogy to remind me why I liked Dan Wells' writing as much as I do.<br />
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Fragments was much better than Partials, almost immediately. It starts off with more action and for some reason I was able to empathize with and care about the characters this time around, something that I just couldn't have cared less about the first time around.<br />
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The story basically picks up a little while after Partials, in the wake of the discovery that RM has a cure. Kira Walker, the 17 yr old medic/agitator and main character is off on her own, searching for the Trust, the group of leaders that the Partial army reports to. She has a lot of questions about who she is and what their plan is for the fate of the world. Is there a way to synthesize the cure? And what about the new development of the Partial expiration date?<br />
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I don't intend to give things away in this review, only to say that the book is full of well-written action sequences, much better character development than the first book, and even a quest across the wrecked and ruined United States. The ending had a nice twist, and I'm actually excited to dig into the next volume whenever it comes out. Job well done, Mr. Wells. 4 out of 5 stars.<br />
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In other news I just learned that Peter Clines' novel Ex-Communication, is available, and I am going to be moving through that one soon. Here's the cover:<br />
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For those of you unfamiliar with this series, it's a cross between the Avengers and The Walking Dead. Great story, fun idea. If you like zombie stories and superhero stories, do yourself a favor and check this series out. <br />
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I'm currently reading Storm Surge by Taylor Anderson. I absolutely love this series. A US navy destroyer in WWII slips into a parallel universe where the earth has not developed along the same timeline nor even the same species. It's a little bit King Kong, a little bit an old WWII movie, and a healthy dose of adventure laced with pseudo-steampunk for good measure. I'll be posting a review of this latest shortly, but if you're looking at getting into the series, the first book is called Into the Storm. It's a lot of fun, check it out.<br />
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That's all I've got for the day. Now I have to get back to Forensic Accounting and Tax Law. Blee-ech. Oh well. Y'all have a great day!<br />
<br />Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-91866877300565397382013-03-12T16:58:00.000-07:002013-03-12T16:58:48.079-07:00Driving a DeskThis week has been very exciting. After a year of working as an indoor environmental specialist at Zerorez, working very long hours only to come home and work longer hours by taking online classes to finish my accounting degree, all while trying to spend time with my family, no less, I finally have a chance to breathe.<br />
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There. Now back to the grindstone.<br />
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No, seriously, this week has been great for me. I moved into an accounting position with Zerorez. For where I am in my life, this is a dream job. They're a great company and I love the people I work with. I've honestly never been in a place that has as good an environment as the one I work in now.<br />
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Now that I've gushed about my good fortune, I've done some evaluating of what I want out of life. I asked myself "where do I go from here?" So much of the last year has been geared towards getting here that it's tempting to just sit back and enjoy it. Still, I recognize how hard I've worked and what the net gain was. I feel that it would be unfair to myself to not utilize the extra time effectively.<br />
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Of course, my family who has stood beside me and supported me will get a lion's share of my newly acquired free time, and rightfully so. I will also be powering through my remaining classes to finish my degree. But there are some projects that will garner some of my attention. There are various writing opportunities that I can now apply myself to that can earn me some more money on the side, and they'll be a priority as well. Fiction, however, is still something that is very important to me. I will be devoting some of this dearly bought time to rededicate myself to writing fiction. I have several projects that I've been sitting on, and I am ready to hit the ground running. I am looking at at least one book done by the end of the year, and, time permitting, two. I'll have to see how it goes.<br />
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But, for all my readers, that is what is new in my life. I haven't had the time to dedicate to writing posts here, but that will be changing as well. I have some fun new ideas for content, and I hope that you will think so too. Check back soon. Until then, have a great day!Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-19622341678355896192012-09-29T21:47:00.000-07:002012-09-29T21:47:25.603-07:00Stolen I had the rare honor of being selected this week to be the lucky recipient of the "I'm going to break into your car award", presented by some lamewad that the Police have yet to track down.<br />
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Yes, my car was broken into. At least they didn't get anything, right? No, wait, not right. Oh yeah, they got about $700 in tools that I use for work. I was about ready to set a baitcar surprise of my own after finding out and perch myself up in a sniper's nest to wait, I was so angry.<br />
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Things are working out though, and though it is a major inconvenience, life will go on. This got me to thinking though, why do people steal? I heard a statistic once, not sure if it's true or not, but it sounds right. Something to the effect that 5% of the population will never steal, given the opportunity. They are morally grounded and stealing holds no temptation. 5% will always steal given the chance. These are the kleptomaniacs of the world, but also those who just don't care what people think or how they feel. They are predators. Scary thing is this group sounds like serial killers would fit in here somewhere too, but, I digress. Finally, 90% of the population will steal, but only if they know they won't get caught or the reward is high enough.<br />
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So what do you think? I think that sounds about right. I mean, there are people, that no matter what, won't care about others. There are those that always care about others, and are considerate of them. And then there's the rest, who probably mean to do the right thing, but for whatever reason, can find themselves blinded by the temptation from time to time.<br />
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And can a person change from one group to the next? If so, how? Can you imagine how much better this world would be if even 1 percentage point changed from those who might steal, given the circumstances, to those who would never steal? I sometimes wonder if the fast pace of our lives, the social media, the demanding schedules, the online shopping, the mega stores, what if all of this is helping to move people to another camp. The ones that have no qualms about taking things that aren't theirs. The lack of personal communication makes it easier to justify things, because the person finds themselves removed from recognizing someone else as a person.<br />
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Think about it. Back when we had small grocers and butcher shops and dairies and the like people were much less likely to steal. That's because they weren't just shoplifting from a faceless conglomermart. They would be stealing from the owner, who they probably knew. Stealing from their family. Suddenly that changes things. It shouldn't, because stealing is stealing, but it does.<br />
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I was listening to a podcast recently that talked about in the military how they teach that the farther removed you can get a person away from the person they need to kill, the easier it is for them psychologically. It's the same principle at work, isn't it? That's why nations at war tend to try to dehumanize the enemy, because then they are easier to hate and want to kill.<br />
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I don't think that this is right. I think it's sad that in a world where we can literally talk across the span of the entire globe in seconds many people feel more alone, more cut off, and more detached than in earlier time periods.<br />
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I'm not advocating getting rid of the internet, social media, or anything like it. But are we using it correctly? Is how we live our lives going to truly lead us to happiness and deeper more meaningful relationships? After all, I'd rather die knowing that I had true friends and family and community members that I got to know and love rather than having more facebook friends, twitter followers and blog readers than I knew what to do with. <br />
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I'm going to climb down off of my soapbox, but these were just some thoughts that I've had circling round in my head since it happened. As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-6864833607710430032012-03-25T18:14:00.000-07:002012-03-25T18:14:02.221-07:00American NightmareI'm excited. Tomorrow I start a new job for the first time in 20 years, if you don't count the 2 years during which I served a mission for the LDS Church. I'm a little nervous, but excited, overall. It will be nice to get into a change of scenery and shake me out of my rut that I've been stuck in. <br />
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I've been toying with the web comic idea, and, well, it's going to be a lot of work. It's going to take a while to get it up and going, but in the meantime, I'm having fun. I haven't drawn this much since high school. <br />
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I've got another strip finished, here you go:<br />
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Like I said, still working on things, including the title, though the working title I've been throwing around is American Nightmare. The general idea is the adventures of Bricker Bracker, as he struggles to find his way through the bureaucracy that pervades our society, particularly in the business district. <br />
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Anyway, that's all I've got. Let me know what you think.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-6314810087105951302012-03-24T21:12:00.000-07:002012-03-24T21:12:39.999-07:00Changes, Movies, and New Web ComicIt's been a rough couple of weeks. <br />
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I had to cancel my porterwrimo, no sooner had I started than things started to go off the rails. I've been wrestling with a decision for quite a while now. Finally, I had to make a choice, and I chose to go through with it. <br />
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For the last three and a half years I have been working 60 to 80 hours a week for a family-owned restaurant. Business has been steadily declining, between the souring economy and the location(dying downtown district). The job was making decent money, but with little future. It was keeping me from being with my family. It was getting in the way of my writing. And it was standing in between me and finishing my accounting degree. <br />
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I made the decision to take a leap of faith and left. The past two weeks has been a little scary, as the job market is not what it once was. I've been applying on average to 15-20 jobs a day. I've interviewed with a few. And, maybe, maybe, as of Monday, I will be emerge from the dark tunnel and head out into the light again.<br />
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Needless to say, this has been hard. The first week I only slept with the help of sleeping pills. It wouldn't be so bad if it were just myself, but I have my family to consider. Still, I felt that it was the right thing to do. It will be better for us, even if it will be hard for a while. <br />
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The new job will allow me more time with the family, and, something that is important to me, time to exercise my creative talents. Namely, writing and drawing. <br />
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To that end, I'm now working on a new project. A web cartoon. Still working it out, gotta pick a title, flush out characters a little more and outline the story. But here's a trial strip:<br />
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So that's what I've been up to the past two weeks. Oh, and, I managed to get some TV and movies in, too. Notably Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games. <br />
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First, Game of Thrones. Overall, good. Big issue with the nudity in the series though. I know, I know, it's HBO, but really? Aside from that, the show is really good. They shot it in various climes and terrains throughout Europe and I have to say, it was visually spectacular. The story is really good, I haven't read the books yet, but from what I hear it follows the story pretty well. <br />
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The Hunger Games. Ahem. Well, I was excited but nervous to see this one. I loved the books, but I really didn't want them to ruin this story. I wasn't disappointed. It was fantastic. In every way I was pleasantly surprised. The cast was phenomenal. The sets were fun and despite the odd fashions of Capitol, it worked, and worked well. The soundtrack was good too. All round, this one was worth it. Definitely glad I saw it. <br />
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That's it from me. I hope to be getting more into my new web comic and getting back to working on my book, too. The new job is going to be a challenge at first, but I think it will be a pleasant change at the very least and a life-altering move for the better at the best. Wish me luck.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-70426691525949584132012-03-13T11:03:00.002-07:002012-03-13T11:03:49.002-07:00"And here...we...go!"Was there ever a better movie than The Dark Knight? Probably, but I'll be damned if I can think of one right now.<br />
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Anyway, the quote from The Dark Knight in the title of this post is in reference to a new project I am embarking on. I have a new book idea. It seems that I have no shortage of ideas these days. What I lack is a) time to complete the books that come from the ideas, and b) the motivation required to re-prioritize my time to allow me to complete said books. Well, that is going to change. <br />
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I figured that if you're going to go, go big, so I decided to commit myself to my own version of nanowrimo. So, for the next thirty days, writing is king. I will finish this project, or die trying. Ok, so maybe that's a bit melodramatic, but seriously. I'm going to put aside distractions(cough, cough, video games, books, music, movies, etc...) and get this done. I'll be posting my daily word counts here, along with a short post, but other than that I only have eyes for my novel. <br />
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As for now, time-nazi-grizzly-bear is telling me to get a move on. <br />Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-5016191285518586302012-01-23T09:02:00.000-08:002012-01-23T09:02:27.443-08:00The Spy, Time Riders, Clementine, and the Year of the Dragon!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Chinese New Year. Now all of us who have been procrastinating getting started on our New Year's goals can start, and even though we're late, we can claim that we are just being "cultured". </div>
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No, seriously. This week has been busy for me. Work has been hectic, we're training 1,2,3,4,no, 5! Yeah, 5 new people. Replacements for people who have gotten fired, quit, disappeared into a bottle, who knows(and no, I don't mean like a genie). So good news for Obama. The government under him can claim five more new jobs. That's what the government does, by the way. They record how many people we hire in a year, but not how many end their employment in that same time period. Then they report to their superiors that there are new jobs being created. </div>
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And we wonder what's wrong with our government. </div>
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I managed to write two more chapters in my current project, Kelekot. It wasn't all that I wanted to get done, but I did manage to write a really cool scene, so I'm happy with it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhfvSWGiVwpdBULPmrFSm7K1p6lYQGuwA6bySp279FnCSLDuPvCSNMtI-cDdVH4BAostGFSv8PmE3Q_o_kzqx2v_VdXme-gV0d2CEYwmHNxNUq6s49WsPuDi6VgFImIDvCnvJsjLgCkU7/s1600/the+spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhfvSWGiVwpdBULPmrFSm7K1p6lYQGuwA6bySp279FnCSLDuPvCSNMtI-cDdVH4BAostGFSv8PmE3Q_o_kzqx2v_VdXme-gV0d2CEYwmHNxNUq6s49WsPuDi6VgFImIDvCnvJsjLgCkU7/s200/the+spy.jpg" width="113" /></a>I finally got around to reading The Spy by <a href="http://www.clive-cussler-books.com/">Clive Cussler</a>. I say finally because, like many of my books, I get them when I see them, but then they go on my reading list which is, give or take, some 50-75 books long at any given time. Trying to work to cut it down, but I'm not really making progress there. <br />
Anyway, The Spy is the third installment in the Isaac Bell series, about a Pinkerton-style detective in the early 1900's. The first two books took place in 1906 and 1907, and traveled all over the railroads that made this country the industrial giant it became. In book three Bell departs from the railroads, and the book focuses on the dreadnought race unfolding among the nations of the world. President Roosevelt has sent the Great White Fleet around the world, but most know that it is already obsolete. Europe is gearing up for war, and new and ever more impressive designs of battleships are being developed. <br />
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But someone is killing off the great minds behind the development in America, making them look like accidents. But Bell is not convinced. He sets about an investigation that will cross the nation and bring him back again to New York, and to the street gangs that run it. Time is running out and he has got to find the person, the spy, that is behind all these murders and stop him. </div>
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Really good read. I love all of them. Cussler blends a great story with a part of American history that is so rich in heritage that it makes for a fantastic adventure. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjc24W1bJSvoLCjmsUKsv6vMIOmE9VjDbIuO2vetr3u8bQzxbxQ9RcpjMpgf2rzgIMZElX4kNbxLvbrLoJAi3TDbqkiqYdOJzJ98darLqrHPzvU50d_RFASF3FSK3g-1mVkL6nsFkjGTTl/s1600/time+riders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjc24W1bJSvoLCjmsUKsv6vMIOmE9VjDbIuO2vetr3u8bQzxbxQ9RcpjMpgf2rzgIMZElX4kNbxLvbrLoJAi3TDbqkiqYdOJzJ98darLqrHPzvU50d_RFASF3FSK3g-1mVkL6nsFkjGTTl/s200/time+riders.jpg" width="132" /></a>Time Riders by <a href="http://www.scarrow.co.uk/">Alex Scarrow</a>, I wish I could say, was as good. When I first saw Time Riders, I was excited. It sounded so cool. But, as the feather duster in Disney's Beauty and the Beast states, "I've been burned by you before." So, I downloaded the sample chapters on my nook. And loved it. Absolutely. The beginning was so strong, I was stoked. So I downloaded the rest, and, well. I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong. This is a good book. It just wasn't the great book that I thought it was going to be. It got a little dry through the middle, some of the time travel stuff didn't make sense, and I kind of got tired of the characters that seemed a little shallow. </div>
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It's about three kids, all from different times. All of them, seconds before they are to die, are recruited to join this top-secret agency that polices time. </div>
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Just as they are recruited however, someone from the future decides to go back in time and teach Hitler the error of his ways. This in turn allows the Nazis to win and history to dramatically change. The race is on. The three of them must find the moment when time was tampered with, find the one who did the tampering, and eliminate him. Period. </div>
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There were a lot of things I did like from this book. Elements of The Time Machine, with a morlock-like civilization, a look at what might have happened if Hitler hadn't made the mistakes he did, and, of course, a character that takes on a surprising similarity to Captain America. </div>
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So, it was a good book. It's not long, and the story is cohesive and entertaining, if not amazing. I feel bad judging it like that, but it's the way I feel. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFkbO8ppCbRXIO03uprwgXi5wB2XUROAcynG2du3GZ7Ar3eZ9t2KsUM5MW7Q18uoyhQdPQ1GtKBWwwRCYKYWuq4qQRJy7DWLrKE9Or9vMUzOOvdwJLY1gphcez-0vTzGB_74V88ECMdH2/s1600/clem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFkbO8ppCbRXIO03uprwgXi5wB2XUROAcynG2du3GZ7Ar3eZ9t2KsUM5MW7Q18uoyhQdPQ1GtKBWwwRCYKYWuq4qQRJy7DWLrKE9Or9vMUzOOvdwJLY1gphcez-0vTzGB_74V88ECMdH2/s200/clem.jpg" width="131" /></a>The third book I read was Clementine, by <a href="http://www.cheriepriest.com/">Cherie Priest</a>. Fun book, entertaining, and full of steampunky goodness. </div>
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The story follows Captain Croggon Hainey as he struggles to regain command of his dirigible that was stolen in Boneshaker, the first book in Priest's Clockwork Century Series. It's a great story of sky pirates, Pinkerton detectives, and an alternate look at the American Civil War, one in which the south manages to create a twenty-something year stalemate. Very cool. </div>
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This was a solid adventure story. The characters were strong, and I liked it more than the first book, Boneshaker. The pacing was better and the book moved. Had a lot of fun with it. Moving on to the third book, Dreadnought, this week. More to come. </div>
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Off to work now, seize the day and all that. This is the year of the dragon though, so at least that's something to look forward to. </div>
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Good hunting. </div>Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-34538318353027902782012-01-12T07:27:00.000-08:002012-01-12T07:29:40.473-08:00Gaining MomentumNewton's first law states that a body in motion remains in motion and a body at
rest remains at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. <br />
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Recently a third grader was asked to cite Newton's first law, she said, "Bodies in motion
remain in motion, and bodies at rest stay in bed unless their mothers call them
to get up." <br />
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No, seriously. It's true though. Sometimes it gets too easy to just hit the snooze button and skate through life on auto pilot. I know I've been guilty of it more than a few times in my life. Why is it so hard sometimes to see the benefits?<br />
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I've done really well this week. The first week of the new year was a bumpy start, I had a million things to get done and, well. Goals fell by the wayside. Still, I managed to salvage the tail end of last week and hammer out the prologue of the project I'm currently working on. I even got to the gym once. <br />
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I think making the decision to do what I could, even if it wasn't all that I had wanted to accomplish, made all the difference. Doing something, however small, begets enthusiasm. Ergo, momentum. Doing nothing on the other hand brings only shame and depression, which leads to more of the same, and the conundrum that goes with that. <br />
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This week I hit the ground running, using the momentum gained last week to spur me on. I've notched 3 chapters so far this week and gotten to the gym every day. The project I'm working on is starting to come together and I can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm going to really try to push on it in the next 2-3 weeks and attempt to finish it up by the end of February at the latest. Hopefully by the end of January, but that might be a little too ambitious. Still, momentum. The thing about momentum is that it gains power the longer it builds. To better illustrate this point watch the inspirational video below:<br />
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Now, that being said, look for a way today to do just a little more. Take 5 minutes if that's all you have, but put it towards something that you've been meaning to do but just never quite seem to be able to get around to. Chances are you won't miss the 5 minutes, and it could make all the difference. And remember, motion and momentum lead to more of the same. It could get to be an addicting habit that can change your life for the better.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-13980462815520826492012-01-05T07:50:00.000-08:002012-01-05T07:50:01.977-08:00Unwind by Neal ShustermanWell it's 2012. A new year and a new start, and all that jazz. And a good year to get things done in, if the Aztec or Mayan calender or whatever is to be believed. Not that I do. I mean, yeah, one can read ominous predictions in the sudden stopping of the calendar, but hey. Think about it. Apple can't even make an iPhone that stays caught up in technology for more than a few years. They made a calendar that lasted this far. Pretty good, especially carving it in stone and all that. <br />
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Reading this year has gotten off to an awesome start. I love it when that happens. It can set the tone for the whole year. Last year in January I read Beastly, by Alex Flinn, and was blown away by how good it was. This year I chose to turn to the YA genre again and was not disappointed. <br />
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The book Unwind by Neal Shusterman is in a word, compelling. To be honest, I had heard good things about it, read some good reviews on goodreads, and was generally excited. <br />
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Until I started reading it. <br />
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Don't take that the wrong way. I loved the book. I just had no idea how hard a book it would be to read. <br />
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The story follows three teens in a dystopian look at an American future. In it, a second civil war has been fought and waged over the issue of abortion. On one side, pro-life, on the other, pro-choice, and in the middle and desperately trying to hang on and put the pieces back together, the remains of the government. The war was ended finally when a new technology was developed, one which allowed the use of every cell of an organ donor. And one that would allow the donor to live on, or so they argued, just in a different form.<br />
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Suddenly the bill of life is passed, and the war is over. Abortion is a thing of the past. No longer legal, children are born that might not otherwise be. The compromise is that between the ages of 13 and 18 parents can elect to have their children "unwound". The process does not violate the pro-life stance, as they technically continue to "live" just in another form. <br />
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As I started reading this, I was incredulous. As a parent I just couldn't imagine how people could go for something like that. But here's where the book succeeds. <br />
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It made me believe it. <br />
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Yes, even with my doubts that a society could ever do something like that, it brought it home. The book scores on another level. As it starts, following three teens that are scheduled to be unwound and go on the run to escape their ghastly fate, I thought the book was more of a social commentary. One that would ramble, telling the stories of these three in an attempt to get the reader to think about it, and that would more or less be it. And while the story was a thought provoking moral commentary, here's where it surprised me. <br />
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The story was fantastic.<br />
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Though seemingly random at first, the author brings all the strings together in ways that I didn't see coming. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's on a level with The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It is that good. So if you're looking to kick your new year's reading off with a bang and you think you can handle it, read this. You won't regret it. <br />
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I've also been getting into Celtic music on Pandora lately. Particularly the group The High Kings. They're the ones that do this awesome song in Sherlock Holmes:<br />
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Doesn't get much better than that. But I better get back to work. Working on a steampunk project, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. </div>
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</div>Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-81910989825551926482011-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-17T08:01:01.168-07:00Contest Reminder!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgEcqDJYSCMiESI8QWXtwIoBV0LRu6AjuV3tu2X6Rht7AtbZBTgZL1h2GKXbF4przfHCWu6J8E3LwdGRXLJrnuepqa9yV1eP2Y_K9QSDcrZFeFQZQD0Yg6fOkCq8jxn6FZGeiEp07w450/s1600/actof+war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgEcqDJYSCMiESI8QWXtwIoBV0LRu6AjuV3tu2X6Rht7AtbZBTgZL1h2GKXbF4przfHCWu6J8E3LwdGRXLJrnuepqa9yV1eP2Y_K9QSDcrZFeFQZQD0Yg6fOkCq8jxn6FZGeiEp07w450/s1600/actof+war.jpg" /></a></div>
Okay, just a reminder about the contest. I'm giving away a free brand-new copy of Dale Brown's book Act of War on Halloween. All you have to do to win it is give me a few names. They don't need to be awesome names. Quantity over quality and that sort of thing. I'd prefer they be either 1800's American, Native American, or Russian. <br />
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So let's see what you've got. Send the lists to my email address at <a href="mailto:portertrepanier@hotmail.com">portertrepanier@hotmail.com</a>.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-12431047440531974862011-10-14T08:31:00.000-07:002011-10-14T08:31:55.990-07:00Real Steel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's Friday! (Don't worry, no Rebecca Black video will start playing that awful song. Seriously, how bad do you have to be to destroy Friday?) Today's movie review is of the new flic Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly and some seriously cool robot combat. <br />
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The movie is set in the near-future, where boxing just wasn't brutal enough for the public. They wanted more. And, because you can add robots to just about anything and make it better, yeah. They came up with robot boxing. (Rock 'em, Sock 'em, eat your heart out) <br />
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Hugh Jackman plays a down on his luck robot trainer, who thinks entirely too much of himself for his own good. He's shown ducking people who owe him money, placing bets with money he doesn't have, and then showboating for a pretty girl instead of paying attention while his robot gets owned in Spain's greatest sport, that of bullfighting.<br />
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As if that's not enough, we learn very soon that not only is he a deadbeat, but he is a deadbeat dad. For nine years now? Eleven. Oh. Well. Isn't that something. Doesn't even know how old his kid is. <br />
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His ex-girlfriend just died, leaving him in custody of his kid, at least until he can figure something out. But what starts as a bad relationship between father and son becomes a pretty good story about how a person can change and how long shots can sometimes pull through. And fighting robots. Did I mention fighting robots?<br />
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So, yeah, a good three and a half stars to this one. It's not amazing, and it runs a little long, but it's worth seeing, if for no other reason than that there are fighting robots! Seriously though, it's a good story, and one that you won't regret seeing.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-64146956005161402942011-10-13T08:43:00.000-07:002011-10-13T08:43:44.815-07:00Crusade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXShoAhplUR2pyG8ASlmpbbuuyP7-ErG5edOG1Wo5iPbWbnp6wdZx6qXShnheLT7QnJ_rK2cc6iD4hOPmCE3xSfAcn0zhoqre8w3iJLkC4gQ8NS2J9HcBaS6hmWtgHCin4rNlSGwKEhiPr/s1600/crusade.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXShoAhplUR2pyG8ASlmpbbuuyP7-ErG5edOG1Wo5iPbWbnp6wdZx6qXShnheLT7QnJ_rK2cc6iD4hOPmCE3xSfAcn0zhoqre8w3iJLkC4gQ8NS2J9HcBaS6hmWtgHCin4rNlSGwKEhiPr/s1600/crusade.png" /></a></div>
The book of the week this week is <a href="http://www.taylorandersonauthor.com/books/crusade/">Crusade</a>, by <a href="http://www.taylorandersonauthor.com/">Taylor Anderson</a>. Mr. Anderson, welcome back. We've missed you...er...cough...well, anyway. <br />
The first book in the Destroyermen series was Into the Storm. In it we followed Captain Matt Reddy and his destroyer USS Walker as they fled from the giant battlecruiser Amagi and tried to hide in a storm. Problem is, the storm was some sort of portal or vortex that transferred them to a parallel universe, one in which the land on earth is more or less the same, but the creatures that inhabit it are far different. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrMyLrFhkSXIUQwj3dwOY98fYkbaeA7zV1dkc_T2-ytsRI3om8uB8W0vCvLRJonYLaKGca5ZMityImTRNmMS20jZURJD-m5-r39zjnAyNTxj-Vwhaq8uh3fY134fQve-5AYHtXcB6hsES/s1600/taylor+anderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrMyLrFhkSXIUQwj3dwOY98fYkbaeA7zV1dkc_T2-ytsRI3om8uB8W0vCvLRJonYLaKGca5ZMityImTRNmMS20jZURJD-m5-r39zjnAyNTxj-Vwhaq8uh3fY134fQve-5AYHtXcB6hsES/s1600/taylor+anderson.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylor Anderson<br />
Author of Destroyermen Series</td></tr>
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Chief among these are the two races, the Lemurians(or as the Destroyermen call them, "the cat-monkey folk") and the Grik. The Lemurians are the good guys, the Grik, a race of savage lizards, are the bad. In the first book Matt Reddy demonstrated what his ship with its technology could mean for the Lemurians, who are fighting a war of survival against the Grik onslaught. <br />
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Now, in book 2, Matt Reddy is ready(haha, get it?) to take the fight to the enemy. The Grik have besieged a city on an island relatively close to Baalkpan, the destroyermen's new base of operations. Together with their Lemurian allies they embark on a rescue mission. Only what they find facing them is more than they could have imagined. And, what's worse, it's only the tip of the iceberg. <br />
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Great story, a little bit of all the best parts of the Time Machine, The Lost World, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This book has some great scenes, and one of the things that I like most about it is that even though they left behind the world in which WWII is taking place, there are a lot of parallels between the tow conflicts. For students of history, there is a scene in Crusade that is very reminiscent of MacArthur when he left the Phillipeans under orders from the president to escape the Japanese Juggernaut. It's a very emotional scene, both in the book and the one that happened in real life. Perhaps that's the best praise I can give this book, that the author blends amazing action with well-rounded characters and a touching story. <br />
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This series is a must-read for fans of the fantasy genre. It's one of the more original ideas out there.Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-70235592057661401182011-10-12T08:31:00.000-07:002011-10-12T08:31:30.893-07:00Contest UpdateAh, sleep deprivation, thou art a heartless wench....<br />
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So, it occurred to me that I neglected to mention that the contest will go until Halloween, Oct, 31st, at midnight. Any entry that reaches my inbox before then will be eligible to win the book. Oh, and should you make an entry and then think of more names, that's fine, just send me an e-mail and make sure I know that you've already submitted another e-mail. <br />
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Thanks, and good luck!Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-9696887381591593872011-10-11T08:22:00.000-07:002011-10-11T08:22:40.293-07:00Contest!!!So, here's the deal. I'm working on a book right now, and I need names. Lots of names. I want them to be in three categories. American-sounding, Native American-sounding, and Russian-sounding. For the American and Russian ones I'd like both first and last names. Also, for the Native American names, please give me actual names, not names like Dances with Wolves. Looking more for Cherokee type names. <br />
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Also, like I said, they just have to sound like these nationalities, but I'd prefer if they were a little different. <br />
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Anyway, here's how the contest works. Send me your names( and permission to use them however I see fit) to my e-mail at <a href="mailto:portertrepanier@hotmail.com">portertrepanier@hotmail.com</a> . Be sure to include your name and mailing address in the e-mail. <br />
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Here's what you win:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOC4a38OW5ewuh8yaZDXmrWK6f2kRMprZ8tNfrnLQuWFrU4-vFo0krBA_ZpPwcNoNXBjv7E89BGkPXwl6JOHQC7M4ITI6u3As3zRvrhCzNHZSw5LBqwAAZsHL2lLIcQ_4tabUiiYfYAc-/s1600/actof+war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOC4a38OW5ewuh8yaZDXmrWK6f2kRMprZ8tNfrnLQuWFrU4-vFo0krBA_ZpPwcNoNXBjv7E89BGkPXwl6JOHQC7M4ITI6u3As3zRvrhCzNHZSw5LBqwAAZsHL2lLIcQ_4tabUiiYfYAc-/s1600/actof+war.jpg" /></a></div>
A brand new paperback edition of Dale Brown's book Act of War! In this fast-paced action story blends technology and fiction into a gripping story about the U.S. under attack from a radical group of eco-terrorists. Just how far are both sides willing to go?<br />
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So that's it. Send me your names. There's no limit here. Whoever sends me the most names, regardless of whether or not I use them, wins! It's that simple. Thanks for helping me out, I'll be looking forward to the names!<br />
Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1704936566310530109.post-48471048736314341502011-10-10T09:10:00.000-07:002011-10-10T09:10:13.402-07:00Back From the Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sooooo. You may have noticed a sharp drop off in the number of posts I've put up in the last few months. That is, more or less, zero. But at least let me explain.<br />
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My computer was infected by the zombie virus. Yes, that's right. The zombie apocalypse is upon us. <br />
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I first noticed odd bite marks around the keyboard. I didn't think much of it, only that somehow my 3 year-old have developed a taste for plastic and technology. <br />
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But within a few hours, I knew I was in trouble. <br />
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I tried everything, Norton, McaFee, Windows. Nothing helped. In fact it only seemed to speed up the process. Within two short days my computer was reduced to a withered husk of what it had been, silently drooling out of one of the USB ports. <br />
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I thought maybe I could get used to it. After all. It was just a small thing. I should be able to work around it. But you know, there really is no way to get work done on a computer that has turned zombie. When it isn't trying to bite you by slamming the lid to the laptop closed on your fingers it just stares blankly at you. <br />
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I tried to get a new computer and soon realized my mistake. No sooner was it out of the box than my old zombified laptop flew across the room and sank its plastic keys into my brand new computer, all the while mumbling something about CPUs....<br />
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Anyway, long story short, there really is only one thing to do with a zombified laptop. You have to take a chainsaw and cut the screen off, then burn the remains. I accomplished this for both laptops and for the most part it was successful. Except one of the keys might have broke the skin. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll be fine tomorrow, it was just a late night. That's why I'm tired. Yeah, that's it. <br />
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Um.... Brains?Porter Trepanierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12456411008890439208noreply@blogger.com1