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I believe that I think, therefore I am, ergo...
Manifesto
The ritual imperative. Everyone should have one.
Read
I write fiction. You read it. And buy my book!
Great links
Fascinating neural engagements!
Atelier
The writer's art gallery!

Photo: Jondude visited the famous Chicken Ranch just outside Carson City, NV. This is me at the front gate. I only went to take the photo. Honest.The establishment does not raise poultry. Photo by Kathleen Bayramian, noble sister, Patron Saint of Squirrels.

Reading: Asked if I read much, my reply is always, “Not enough.” Yet I read voraciously. I read three to four books each week. I only wish those numbers were higher.Why do I read so much? First, and the most appropriate answer, is that I am a writer and reading is to a writer as tasting is to a chef. A second reason: I have so many interests and curiosities that force me to consume information to appease and satisfy those appetites. Another and a more dramatic answer may shock you. Science is proving that from about thirty years of age when the brain is not actively learning and is not engaged in exercising its capabilities, it degrades.
Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, in THE WISDOM PARADOX, presents data from extensive research on groups from all walks of life that points to how that degradation works: Patients and volunteers who are engaged in mental activity that requires their brains to work on simple problems, i.e., study, problem-solving, decision-making and “thinking” processes, retain their mental capacities much longer than those who do not. Even very simple mental activity that requires memory stimulation such as doing crossword puzzles prolongs the tenure of a sharp mind.Studies of Alzheimer’s patients corroborates the conclusions. The active mind/brain remains a better functioning machine longer than the inactive one.Reading is an available means for exercising the brain. Even reading formulaic literature (romance, detective stories, westerns) requires mental activity. Reading for discovery, such as research, delving into new subjects and studying history, promotes mental engagement and fitness. The more you read, the more you must process. The more you process and consign to memory, the longer your mind will stay this side of vegetative.

I walked past the window of a vitamin and supplement store one day and read their banner: BRAIN FOOD INSIDE. I went in and asked the manager if he sold or loaned books. He looked at me as if I had just kicked him in the groin. He would have never understood even if I had tried to explain what I meant.
Fight brain degradation. Read! (Start with my novels, False Witnesses and/or Teaching Collette!)